As parent and carers, you play a vital role in your child’s mental health, however it is not always easy to know how to reach out to your child to talk about mental health. That is why Place 2 Be visited primary and secondary schools to ask students what they feel they need from you. We picked our top five things that the children told them they need from you:
1. We do not need to have one-off conversations about our mental health – sometimes a chat on a journey or at bedtime is enough.
2. I need to know it is okay to talk to you about all of my feelings. Please hear what I have to say, without interrupting me.
3. Please listen to me carefully and acknowledge how I am feeling – it might seem silly to you but what I am going through is important to me.
4. Sometimes I do not want to talk. Please trust that I will come to you (or another grown-up or someone my own age) when I am ready. Sometimes it is easier for me to talk to someone nearer my own age – my siblings, cousins, friends, younger teachers at school - because they ‘get it’.
5. Sometimes a hug is all it takes to make me feel supported.
As parent’s ourselves, we know it is not always easy to start a conversation about children’s mental health. If you are struggling to get your child to open up, here’s a few conversation starters that you can try:
1. Tell me about your day.
2. What was the best thing about today?
3. What is the biggest stress/worry in your life right now?
4. What is your online life like?
5. Who would you talk to if you were feeling worried about your mental health?
6. What can I do to help you?
For younger children who may not yet be able to communicate clearly, it is still important to consider how we can support babies and young children with their mental health. In the same way that we can be more or less physically healthy from time to time, we can also be more or less mentally healthy too.
So how can you help your baby or toddler with their mental well-being?
It is important that your child learns to adjust and control their emotions. However, this skill needs to be developed and can be shaped by their temperament and experiences in early childhood. To develop these skills, they need responsive and sensitive care from adults around them.
How can you support babies/toddlers in heightened emotional state?
Activities such as role play and creative play – If you need ideas on creative and sensory play that is suitable with your toddler, we have lots of examples over on our blog here. Our Long Length coverall bibs will also help you keep the mess to a minimum meaning you can focus on giving your little one your undivided attention.
Suggest they come with you to wash their face – Washing tears from a child’s face with cool water will have a calming effect. This can help them regulate their emotions. Our Bamboo Wash Mitts are extremely soft and can be used from new-born so are perfect to wash babies and toddler faces.
Reassure them and help them find solutions - If you see your baby or toddler is an emotional state then you suggest a different way of looking at a worry or offer potential solutions to help. Sometimes a hug will go a long way too!
For more information on how you can support your child through a mental health issue you can visit the Place 2 Be’s website here. If you think your child might be in immediate danger, then ring 999 immediately.
Useful UK Numbers for under -18s
SHOUT
Text CONNECT to 85258
CHILDLINE
Call 08001111
Whether you’re weaning using suction plates or weaning without baby weaning plates entirely, it’s important to recognise that food presentation and its visual appeal are important factors that affect our perception of taste and our overall dining experience. Here are some ways in which food presentation - on or off baby suction plates - can influence our baby’s willingness to eat:
Visual Appeal: Food that is visually appealing is often more enticing. Bright colours, an attractive suction plate and a well-arranged presentation can make a meal more attractive and appetizing.
Appetite Stimulation: When food is presented in an aesthetically pleasing manner, it can stimulate our appetite and make us more eager to try it.
Portion Control: Smaller portions that are artfully presented can be more satisfying than larger servings haphazardly plated. Using an attractive suction weaning plate, particularly one with divided sections, can really help with this.
Healthier Choices: Food presentation can also influence choices when it comes to healthier eating. When healthy options are presented in an appealing manner, your baby may be more inclined to choose them over less healthy alternatives.
The right equipment: Divided suction plates can do a great job at making the presentation of food that much easier – and starting with a great looking suction plate gives you a big advantage right from the off. Our Owl and Fox shaped Silicone Suction Plates come with 2 removable pots that form the eyes of your chosen character. Perfect for babies and toddlers alike they are almost guaranteed to encourage a clean baby plate!
However, it's essential to remember that while the visual appeal of food can be a factor in your baby’s willingness to try it, it's not the only one. Taste, texture, and the overall sensory experience also play crucial roles in a baby's eating habits. Additionally, individual preferences can vary, and what works for one child may not work for another. So, while the presentation of food can be important, it's just one aspect of promoting healthy eating habits in infants and children.
Of course, you’re going to want to treat baby too! Our Bamboo Baby Wash Mitts make the perfect new baby gift idea and are both cute and practical – ticking all the new parent boxes! . Babies have a natural instinct to dislike their mouths or noses to be covered, so we developed our wash mitts to ensure that parents can easily wipe baby’s face during bath time or meal time, without the discomfort of baby’s airways being momentarily covered. Plus, they are designed to support different stages of development, starting with showing baby bright colours and fun movements using the baby mitts as small puppets. This is a new baby gift idea to help parents avoid tears during bathtime and it’s also a fun gift for baby that they can grow with.
One thing that every new parent mentions is how they never manage to drink their tea or coffee whilst it’s so hot. This might seem like a minor thing normally, but when you’re sleep deprived and adjusting to a new way of life, sometimes a nice hot drink is just what you need to keep going. So, a great new baby gift ideas targeted at parents is a thermal mug! This is such a great gift that new parents might not think to buy themselves but can provide that little pick me up each day.
To go with the mug if you have the budget, a voucher for their favourite coffee shop is another wonderful new baby gift idea, as they can get out of the house, get their favourite drink in their new thermal cup and enjoy it at home when it’s still hot, even if it is an hour later because there was a nappy explosion emergency!
If you want to provide a practical new baby gift, then this idea is for you! An exciting part of a baby's development comes when they start weaning, and as many people choose gifts suited to the newborn stage, looking slightly later down the line is a great way to provide a gift that can be enjoyed months past the newborn bubble. So, our Bib & Tray kit is a wonderful gift!
Designed to support baby’s independent eating, the Bib & Tray Kit allows baby to become a more confident eater and explore the world around them, without the mess. Any food that is dropped or smashed remains within the tray, so you simply need to wipe down afterwards, helping to save you time and reduce food waste. The long sleeve bib also makes sure that baby remains clean, so there are less outfit changes. Plus, the Bib & Tray kit can be used for sensory play too, so you know it will get lots of use. This new baby gift idea can support the baby through from 6 months to 3 years and can be attached to any high chair.
Our first super easy baby led weaning lunch idea is our easy chicken noodle recipe! This takes a matter of minutes to put together, it combines different textures for baby to explore and it's colourful, so you know baby is accessing a range of different vitamins within their meal. Plus, add a few seasonings and you can feed yourself and older children with the same recipe! This baby led weaning lunch idea will become your weekly go-to.
Next up on our list of baby led weaning lunch ideas that are quick and simple, we have our veggie packed feta egg muffins! When you have lots of different things on the go throughout the day, sometimes you don’t even have 10 minutes to stand in the kitchen and cook. So, our oven baked feta egg muffins are perfect, as you put everything into a bowl, mix with eggs and then pop in the oven so you can go away and get other things sorted. Not only is this baby led weaning lunch idea packed full of nutrients, but you can also batch make and freeze them, saving you even more time! We also have a goats cheese, kale and yellow pepper muffin version to mix things up slightly!
If your baby is a pasta lover like we are, then our baby pesto with pasta, ricotta and nutmeg will go down a treat! This quick and simple baby led weaning lunch idea will introduce baby to new flavours. Plus, you can blend a small portion of the pasta once it’s ready to then mix in with the rest of the dish to suit the consistency you’re looking for. This dish is full of goodness and you can also experiment with different soft cooked green veg as your baby tries more different foods.
When you want something super quick that doesn’t require any cooking, our festive pita bites are a great baby led weaning lunch idea! All you need to do is cut out pita shapes using a cookie cutter and top them with your baby’s favourite spreads, such as guacamole or hummus, chop up some colourful veggies into small pieces and then get creative! You can get your little one involved with the toppings and allow them to have fun. You could also make some sweet versions with this baby led weaning lunch idea, such as peanut butter and banana as toppings.
Our last super easy baby led weaning lunch idea is a tuna and avocado tartine! Another really quick recipe that tastes great, all you do is mash the ingredients together, add your topping to bread or toast then finish off with chopped tomatoes. This is a really balanced lunch that will keep baby feeling satisfied and again, introduces them to new textures to encourage them to be confident eaters. Simple and really effective, this baby led weaning lunch idea is the perfect weekday meal when you’re short on time.
Taking time to make delicious weaning recipes can be great, however, we all have days where we need to save some time without compromising on nutrition or flavour for baby. This is where our super easy baby led weaning lunch ideas come in! To make lunch times even quicker and easier, our Bib & Tray Kit helps to save 10 minutes on clean up per meal and also up to £1 a day on food waste! This will soon become a weaning essential that will help to keep weaning fun for baby and easy for you. Give a few of these a try and make sure to let us know what you think.
]]>This blog will hopefully give you some practical advice and tips on how to support your child’s play at home and explain why simply ‘playing’ is a lot more developmentally beneficial than you might think.
Play is defined as a range of motivated activities done for pleasure. It’s inherently enjoyable, and something that brings us pleasure makes us want to do more of it. The purpose of play is to make sense of the world. Whilst playing, your baby is learning a multitude of things; building resilience; developing their motor skills; developing memory; cognitive skills; social and communication skills and building confidence in their opinions and their ability to make independent decisions.
Learning through play is an inevitable part of all children’s development - so harnessing this through the activities we do with them, to extend these learning opportunities, is a great way to support your baby as they grow. This is called ‘scaffolding’ – and is the foundation of play-based learning.
Play based learning is based on scaffolding - where one concept builds on to another. This is where adult assisted play is incredible for your baby’s development. Adding words and language or helping extend one activity into another – is a fantastic way for you to build on your child’s natural desire to play and support the learning opportunity it provides.
Open ended play - where there is no end goal to the play – is of huge benefit to children in their early years. So instead of setting out a paint activity in a really structured way i.e. “We’re going to paint a picture of a dinosaur and talk about what we’re drawing” - try simply getting the paints out and letting them go wild. They might end up with a finger painting, or simply splodging and swirling paints onto paper– but there is still a learning opportunity in that. Instead of looking at your role as the leader, try looking at it as the guider. Instead of learning and directing play, children generally learn best when their play is self-directed and scaffolded. So that free-flow splodgy swirls of paint– what patterns can we see in it? “Wow! Your red and blue colours mixed together, and you made a new colour – purple! What happens when we mix yellow and blue?” You’ve just delivered a science lesson without even trying, but most importantly – you’ve helped your child take the lead and you’ve been there to guide.
The best outcome for learning occurs where most of the activity with a child’s day is a mixture of:
Sensory play is great for open ended play and a great way to play with babies of all ages. It can be messy – so get prepared with an apron for older children and for younger babies we recommend using the Bib & Tray Kit as a great safe sensory surface.
Download our free recipe card for playdough here or check out more sensory play ideas here
]]>The Government recommends that all children eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. However, recent research suggests that nearly a third of primary age children eat less than one portion of fruit and vegetables a day (Gov.UK) and that many pre-schoolers often have days where they eat no fruit or vegetables at all (Childfeedingguide.co.uk).
Fruit and vegetables are an essential part of a balanced diet and are important for providing protection against disease. However, many babies and children show a dislike for vegetables in particular and make a beeline towards sweeter foods. This natural bias is totally normal, and absolutely manageable (we’re here to help with that part!). But it’s important to recognise that handing over control to your child on what to eat – when we see them choosing not to engage with the foods we know they should be (vegetables) - is one of the reasons many parents opt for combination or traditional weaning over child-led.
So how do you encourage your baby to choose the broccoli over the bread? The peas over the pasta? The carrots over the cheese?
The answer to this question is multi-faceted. It’s a HUGE topic, and over the course of our blog series we’ll be delving into this topic to provide you with a tool kit of tips and techniques, knowledge and advice that will help you navigate your way through it with ease.
For now though, we’re going to start with the understanding that reluctance to eat certain foods is often related to an unfamiliarity with appearance, texture, or taste. This understanding is so fundamental that it’s now made its way into the Department for Education’s EYFS curriculum under the topic of Sensory Food Education – a curriculum that encourages children to explore food using all their senses, to help them learn to love eating vegetables and fruit for life.
Whilst we stand behind Sensory Food Education 100% we’re incredibly passionate that using our senses to develop a love of food need not wait until pre-school, and nor should it. By helping your baby use their sight, smell, touch and sound, as well as taste, to explore their food – in a process we call Sensory Weaning – you’re building incredible foundations for food acceptance from the very start of your baby’s weaning journey.
So how does Sensory Weaning help your baby learn to love their greens?
But what else is out there to help? We’ve learnt that it can take between 15-20 exposures of a new food before a child is willing to put it in their mouth. But it’s really important to acknowledge that buying, cooking and serving a food that we fully expect to be refused entirely or simply squashed and dropped to the floor, is more than a little frustrating. Fruit and veg is expensive, and when you’re shopping on a tight budget, buying food you know will go to waste is just not an option.
That’s where the Bib & Tray Kit becomes your new best friend. It comprises a large sensory tray that sits on top of any highchair, and a bib that attaches to the front of the tray to close the gap where food is otherwise dropped and lost to highchair seats and laps.
For babies, it affords them a large surface on which to confidently explore their food using all their senses, by keeping food within their reach. The tray has a lip around the rim to stop food rolling to the floor and it is wide enough to prevent babies from dropping food over the sides. For parents, this kit removes the psychological barriers of food mess and food waste that in a very real way, often cloud the decision to take a more sensory approach to weaning. For more information on how the Bib & Tray Kit can help address food waste, check out our blog here.
]]>Here we take a quick look at why mark making is so important and the benefits it brings to your child’s development.
Fine motor skills
Motor skills are the level of coordination required between small muscles and our nervous system to be able to control small movements. Drawing helps your child to strengthen the muscles in their hands and fingers which are essential for later learning to write. This is the same skill that your child will also learn whilst learning to feed themselves.
Hand-eye co-ordination
Hand-eye co-ordination is the ability to do activities that involve your hands and eyes working together. Mark making helps your baby to recognise their eyes and hands are working together to produce their drawing. Hand-eye co-ordination is vital to your child’s development as this will help them to learn to write and copy letters and numbers.
Language
Children often think about what they draw and connect words and images together in their minds. By thinking, they are using words in their head and developing their language. Adults can encourage their language development by asking their child about their drawing and asking them to explain what it is they have drawn.
Cognitive development
Cognitive development is how children think, explore and figure things out. It includes learning how to problem solve and the development of skills and knowledge. When drawing children are leaning to identify colours and how to co-ordinate and draw as well as much more. This is great for developing the brain.
We’ve incorporated the benefits of mark making into one of our newest product ranges - Snack & Doodle. These handy reusable food bags have a drawing mat on the reverse, helping your little one to get creative wherever they may be. ]]>In the 2023 Ofcom Report ‘Children & Parents; Media and Attitudes’, it revealed that 20% of 3–4-year-olds have their own mobile phones. We’re going to stick our neck out here and say that statistic shocked us. The same report details that 87% of this age group also regularly accessed on-line material (YouTube, social media apps, on-line gaming etc). The report didn’t gather the same data for under 3’s, but it’s reasonable to infer that screen use in the under 3’s is, in the context of child development, worryingly high.
The first 5 years in your baby’s life are so important to their brain development. It’s in these first 5 years that children's brains develop neural connections faster than at any other time in their lives. These neural connections set the foundations for learning, health and behaviour thought their life.
The amount of screen time we allow our children to have during these formative years will, like it or not, impact on their development. But what impact does it have, and why? We’re here to help shed a bit of light on this topic and give you the tools you need to help you decide how much, and what type, of screen time is right you for baby.
So why does screen time mater, and what impact can it have on our baby’s development?
1) Health outcomes
Screens are sedentary. This one is fairly clear- there is much research to suggest that improving physical activity and reducing sedentary time in young children improves their physical and mental health and can help to prevent childhood obesity and associated diseases later in life.
2) Replacement
Regular screen time replaces other activities that are much more valuable to a child’s development. Children develop and learn best when they are actively engaging in physical and mental activity and challenges. It helps them build working theories about the world around them.
3) Passive process
Watching TV is quite obviously a passive process, but even apps designed for children should be used with caution, urge the Early Years Alliance. Much of the learning value of these apps comes from when they are used alongside active adult engagement. The learning value they provide for our children is relatively low if we’re simply give them the device and leaving them to get on with it. Adults can extend the learning these apps support, by bringing things into the real world, talking about what’s happening on screen etc, and what the learning means.
4) Hijacks attention
TV and apps designed for children are specifically designed to capture and hold your child’s attention for a prolonged period. This usually involves a lot of fast-moving stimuli with lots of colour, sounds and movement. This is all intentional. It keeps children hooked and maintains their attention. But that’s good, isn’t it? Well sort of. The issue with this is that children who access more screen time find it hard to maintain attention on lower stimuli activity e.g., completing jigsaws, drawing, colouring, reading, which are developmentally more enriching and beneficial. It also makes the transition into nursery or pre-school potentially more difficult to navigate.
Babies are hard wired to seek input from their parent or caregiver. This is known as reciprocal human engagement. A case of ‘serve and return’. Screen time traditionally only allows for one away communication. Children who have excessive screen time can lack those social skills needed for building friendships, displaying empathy, and holding conversation, as their experiences are heavily weighted to one-way communication.
How much is too much? And what are the down-time alternatives?
The World Health Organisation recommends that screen time is not recommend at all for children under 2 years of age. For those aged between 2 and 4 years, no more than 1 hour of screen time is recommended, and less is better.[2]
Now we hear you. No screen time at all for under 1’s?! 1 hour for under 4’s?! These experts can’t possibly have kids!
It is really important to acknowledge that parenting is tough, and sometimes you both need some downtime. And sometimes – you have no option but to keep your baby safely engaged and occupied for half an hour, sat happily watching Cocomelon, whilst you make the dinner. That’s not just fine; it’s normal, healthy – and most importantly - it’s real life. If you are concerned that your baby is having too much screen time, the most important thing to consider first is how you’re using screen time, rather than how much of it you’re letting them access.
You’ll find lots of ideas for simple sensory play activities, which are a great alternative to screen time for young babies, on our website here. For older children you can also check out our Snack & Doodle, which combines the benefits of drawing and creative play alongside every toddler’s favourite pastime – snacking! You can learn more about how drawing supports your child’s development on our blog here.
[2] https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more
]]>Understanding that food aversion is strongly rooted in a fear of the unfamiliar can help us tackle this effectively. As we discuss in our blog Sensory Food Education - building a lifelong love of healthy foods through Sensory Weaning it can take between 15-20 exposures to a new food before a child is willing to put it in their mouth to eat it. Some research suggests this figure is an underestimate and the number of exposures required is nearer 200 – but whatever the actual number, it’s important to try not to rush this process and to not become too frustrated by it.
But exposure to new foods doesn’t need to happen at mealtimes. Using food as a sensory play material can significantly reduce the expectation around it needing to be eaten. Here are some great ideas to help you use real food as part of playtime. Fruit and veg lend themselves to all sorts of sensory play. You don’t need to use our suggestions here – if your child has an aversion to a particular food - see if you can use this as an alternative to some of the suggestions given here, or drop us a message and we’ll see if we can help 😉
You can make paint stamps from any firm fruit or vegetable, such as Carrots, Potatoes, Aubergine, Celery, Courgettes, Onions, Oranges, Limes, Lemons and Apples.
Take a sharp knife and cut the vegetable or fruit in half before dipping into a tray of paint and pressing onto a piece of paper or card. You can simply leave it there – and see what shapes and textures each different food makes on the paper, or if you’re feeling particularly creative you can calve a different shape on each side.
Choose a selection of brightly coloured fruit and veg to turn into tasty edible paint! You’ll need:
Wash and peel the fruit and vegetables then cut into small pieces. Steam until very soft and then blend each colour until smooth. Add a little water to give the desired consistency and allow to cool completely before using. Your baby can finger-paint a picture directly on the highchair or Tidy Tot Sensory Tray or finger-paint onto paper or card to make pictures you can keep (for an hour or two anyway)!
Top Tip! Frozen fruit and veg is generally less expensive than fresh and work just as well – just defrost before use. If using fresh, choose fruit and veggies that are past their best (but still edible) to minimise any food waste.
All you need is a selection of berry fruits e.g. strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry. Lay them all out on the tray in front of your baby and take turns to give them a good squash! What does each one sound like as you squash it? What do they smell like? What do they look like? What do we notice about the colour? Is the inside the same colour as the outside for example? What happens to our fingers when we squash them? Let’s lick our fingers and see what they tase like!
Buying bags of frozen fruit is cheaper then fresh. Just defrost before use. Remember that berry fruits can be a choking hazard to small babies so cut up the fruit into bite size pieces as required. For older babies and toddlers you can take this game a little further:
Game 2: Berry racing! Sort the berries into different shapes. How would you describe the shapes we are looking at? What happens when you try to push them along the tray? Do some move faster than others? Are some easier to make move than others? Why might that be? Remember that berry fruits can be a choking hazard to small babies so cut up the fruit into bite size pieces as required.
Game 3: Create a game of count and sort – can you put them into different matching groups (colour, size, shape). How many are in each group? Which group has more/less? What happens when I eat one / take one away – how many do we have then?
Jelly is a fantastic Sensory Play food, and with vegan and sugar free varieties available it’s really accessible too. You can set almost any small items into the jelly - including fruit and vegetables - so why not take something that’s regularly refused and try setting that into the Jelly and see if that can spark some interest?
These sensory weaning games and more are available as FREE downloads on our website!
]]>Here's our top tips for making eating on the go with a fussy toddler as relaxing, fun and stress free as possible!
Traveling over the summer doesn’t have to be stressful! Remember to plan ahead, be organised but most importantly enjoy the day and create memories.
Tidy Tot Snack & Doodle is available in a choice of 2 toddler-friendly prints. Enjoy snacking on the run with these compact, reusable food storage pouches that double as water doodle colouring mats. Encourage independence, creativity, and screen-free down-time! Matching bibs available 😉
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Whether baby Led weaning, spoon feeding or wanting to go your own way with it, the internet is full of ‘rules’ to follow when Weaning, but the truth is that every baby is different, and one size definitely doesn’t fit all when it comes to how to wean. By learning to read your baby’s cues and behaviour, you’ll become more confidence in your choices. Your baby will let you know when they are ready for weaning , what approach they prefer and when they may be ready to move to the next stage. If you’re not sure what signs to look for when it comes to knowing if your baby is ready for solids, you can check out our blog post here.
Jo Weston, founder Baby Led Kitchen, author and creator of the Baby Led Kitchen App is passionate about keeping weaning realistic and advocates that whatever method you follow, allow yourself to adapt it to fit in with the reality of your day. Jo’s cookbook, ‘Intuitive Weaning’ is a fantastic resource to help give you the confidence to wean your baby the way you want to whilst also providing some amazing recipes! To find out more about Intuitive Weaning and access to hundreds of recipes you can do so here.
Our advice? Be realistic with the expectations you set for yourself and for your baby. Many babies will not finish a full meal, and some days don’t want to try a thing, and that’s okay! Often social media creates a ‘perfect’ scenario that just isn’t reality. Babies can have a dip in their appetite for many reasons, and as their parent you know your baby best.
You can also make things that little bit easier by investing in the right equipment, and in a recent survey 8 out of 10 parents found mealtimes with our award-winning Bib & Tray Kit more enjoyable, easier, and less stressful. Most importantly – remember that no-one knows your baby like you do – trust your instincts and enjoy the journey 😊
Best Affordable Highchair
This budget highchair is exactly what it says on the tin! It's a simple design made from plastic making it easy to wipe down. The Ikea Antilop works well with our range of bibs including our Bib & Tray Kit. It has a removable tray and 3-point harness. However, as this highchair doesn’t come with a footrest, we highly recommend purchasing one separately as well as a 5-point harness for added security.
2-in-1 Babyway Highchair - £35
This 2-in-1 highchair adapts to your growing babies needs as it converts into a junior chair with removeable legs and tray. It’s easy to disassemble and transport whilst also having a leg rest and 5-point harness. The 1-in10 Babyway highchair is also great for people with little space.
Kinderkraft Highchair YUMMY - £70 - £80
The Kinderkraft highchair folds down to a compact size meaning it’s easier to store away when not in use. It has adjustable height positions meaning you can adjust the height to fit with your dining table, whilst also having an adjustable back rest. The Kinderkraft also has a removable insert tray, footrest and 5-point harness.
COSTWAY Adjustable Baby Highchair - £95
The Costway highchair has 7 adjustable heights and 4 reclining angles. The great thing about this highchair is the footrest also has 3 adjustable angles and 3 adjustable heights meaning your baby can find a comfortable fit. This highchair also comes with a toy bar to help keep baby entertained and 5-point harness for safety.
Best High-end Highchair
Chicco Polly Magic Relax - £140 - £180
The Chicco Polly Magic relax highchair has many features to keep your baby comfortable at mealtimes. It even has wheels to make it easier to move round your home, adjustable footrest and 5-point harness. This highchair is one of the best to be used with our Bib & Tray Kit (and Cover & Catch Bibs), as it has a wide enough tray to give support and a smooth, glossy surface, for the suction cups underneath our tray to attach to.
There are a wide range of price points available when it comes to highchairs. Our advice would be to consider what features you want in your highchair and go from there. Don’t get lost in unnecessary features as often enough simple is the most effective!
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During weaning, babies’ sensitive skin can become incredibly sore, particularly around their mouth and chin. Taking a damp cloth to sore skin is never going to raise a smile!
The action of wiping your baby’s face with a flannel, wash cloth or wipe, covers their nose and mouth simultaneously. Babies have an innate aversion to having their airways covered; think of it as a natural defence mechanism. So, turning her head, getting upset, squirming in her highchair– these are all natural, physiological responses to the expectation of an uncomfortable, or even innately harmful, action.
So now we understand why babies turn on the tears as they see the wipes approaching, what can we do about it?
Unless food is in their eyes, try to resist the urge to wipe or scrape food from your baby’s face or hands. The sensation of food on their skin, even in their hair, is a great learning experience. Babies learn most quickly when they use all their senses to explore. Allowing your baby to experience food using all their senses gives them more opportunity to learn and enjoy the benefits of a sensory weaning approach.
When it comes to the clean-up, letting your baby help to clean themselves is a sure-fire way to end on a high. Finishing mealtimes as you start them – with smiles, excitement and fun – all help your baby to build a positive relationship with food, which will count for so much as they grow. Our Bamboo Wash Mitts are perfectly sized for this job – use the adult mitt on your own hand and place the smaller one on your baby so they can have a go! You’ll be amazed at how quickly they learn to follow your lead. And all the while they are practicing, they’re strengthening their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills to boot!
Delicate skin needs looking after gently. We recommend using a re-usable wipe for the mealtime clean up rather than disposable ones – even the gentler water-based variety. Look for re-usable wipes made from Bamboo - which is naturally antibacterial and kind to sensitive skin, as well as being kind to the planet.
Using a mitt instead of a washcloth or flannel to wipe your baby’s face helps you to wipe only where you need to. You can avoid covering baby’s nose and mouth simultaneously and use controlled movements to delicately wipe away left over food. Our adult sized mitts are just right for this job and designed to stay beautifully soft.
Make the experience fun and engaging, by singing a song or playing peek-a-boo, can help distract your baby and make the process more enjoyable. With the right baby wash cloth and a little creativity, cleaning your baby's face can become a stress-free and even enjoyable experience. Our Bamboo baby mitts are shaped into 3 cute animal designs tiger, bird and rabbit – for worlds of fun as you wash.
Tidy Tot Bamboo Wash Mitts are £15.95 per set and are available to buy here
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Weaning is when taste buds and food preferences begin to develop, and therefore when a wide variety of food intake is so important. In the early stages of weaning, you have the chance to help set your child’s taste buds and food preferences for life. Your little one needs to have a good range of foods, flavours, and textures in their diet for healthy development.
Herbs and spices are a wonderful way to add flavour and variety to your little one’s diet. It may seem early to be offering your baby spiced food, but it can help expand their palate and add extra nutrients to their meals. There are a range of benefits to using herbs and spices in your baby’s meals. The key is to start with small amounts and build up quantities over time.
Start with milder spices such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon. Stronger spices such as chilli and smoked paprika may be better left until later. If you have been eating meals that are flavoured with herbs and spices whilst pregnant and breastfeeding, your baby will already have been tasting these amazing flavours. Studies show that exposing babies to a greater variety of foods in these early stages can lead to them accepting and eating more of those foods later, helping to eliminate fussy eating.
A divided silicone suction plate or bowl is ideal for weaning and the strong suction bottom will stop your baby throwing utensils to the floor and keeping food firmly on the table. Tidy Tot has a great value range of silicone suction tableware, an ideal accompaniment to help with the weaning journey. Weaning can also be messy, so Tidy Tot Bib and Tray kit bib is a great way to ensure that your babies’ clothes don’t get destroyed in the process.
Giving your baby the chance to experience as many tastes and different foods as possible will broaden their palate. It will help them to become a more adventurous (and less fussy) eater as they grow. For Aisha offers a wide range of pouches, tray meals and snacks, catering for children and babies up to the age of three, perfect for weaning! All meals are made with 100% natural ingredients, halal certified, diary free, egg free, soya free, gluten free and nutritionist approved. For Aisha pride themselves on being one of the top brands in exploring different flavours, helping babies to develop their taste buds, and setting them up for a lifetime of food experiences. For Aisha products are available to purchase across major UK retailers, including ASDA, Sainsburys, Morrison’s, Ocado and Amazon.
For Aisha has given us an exclusive 20% off their website with the code TIDYTOTS20 and free shipping over £20.Offer ends 31.05.23
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Coordination and Motor Skills
Coordination and motor skills are often interlinked. Motor skills can either be defined as gross motor skills; which involve using the large muscle groups and enable you to walk, balance and ride a scooter, or fine motor skills; which refer to smaller movements such as grasping an object. Coordination skills are essential, and we use them in many tasks we do. Hand-eye coordination skills refer to your hands and eyes working together and help with a child’s reading and writing. For example, writing requires fine motor skills to hold a pencil, and hand-eye coordination to form letters correctly.
Scooters, trikes and play tunnels are great for developing gross motor skills whereas musical instruments, puzzles and games help with fine motor skills and coordination.
Colours, Letters and Numbers
Learning our colours helps with cognitive development and visual perception. Teaching children their letters help to develop language skills and is fundamental in reading, and numbers are something we use everyday to help us tell the time and for maths. Books, games and puzzles are all fantastic ways for helping your little one to recognise their colours, letters and numbers.
Imaginative Play
Children have big imaginations and imaginative play is a great way to help them express themselves and understand the world they live in. It also builds creativity and confidence and is another way to help with language development. Play sets and books are both brilliant ways to encourage the use of our imaginations.
You can find all these types of toys at the Tumble Tots Online Shop, plus you can get 20% OFF by using the code tidytot at the checkout.
Tumble Tots Online Shop 20% OFF Terms & Conditions
Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers, discounts or promotions. Excludes P&P, items currently in a promotion, Giant Snakes and Ladders, Big 4, Gift Cards, Members Replacement T-shirts and any other products at our discretion. The coupon code 'tidytot' must be applied at the checkout in order to qualify. Please note that postage and packing fees are charged at the rate due before any discounts have been applied. Valid until midnight on the 31st May 2023.
Our friends over at Kokoso Baby have a range of natural and organic products that can soothe and protect your baby’s delicate skin when weaning.
Even better, they’ve given us an exclusive discount code to share with you meaning you can get 15% off your next purchase at Kokoso.co.uk. Use the code TT15 at checkout!*
Here are Kokoso Baby’s recommended skincare products for weaning:
Baby-Soft Balm Stick for face rashes when weaning
You’ll be wiping your baby’s face and chin a lot more when they’re weaning, which can sometimes irritate the skin and lead to redness and rashes. It’s a good idea to use a nourishing barrier balm like the award-winning Baby-Soft Balm Stick made by Kokoso Baby.
Not only is it 100% natural and certified organic, it’s made with a blend of skin-calming ingredients such as coconut oil and shea butter to soothe rashes. They’ve also included beeswax and carnauba wax, which create a protective barrier that shields delicate skin from further irritation.
Kokoso Baby Coconut Oil for nappy rash from weaning
As babies start to eat solid foods the content of their stools will change, increasing the likelihood of nappy rash. Likewise, changes in your baby's diet can increase the frequency of stools, which can also lead to nappy rash. You have so much to look forward to mama!
Never fear, Kokoso Baby’s pure organic coconut oil can be used at every nappy change to help keep rashes and irritation at bay. It’s a completely natural product packed with soothing anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, so you can feel safe in the knowledge that you’re nourishing and protecting your baby’s delicate nappy area without harsh chemicals or hidden nasties.
Shop here with code TT15 for 15% off.
*Excludes items already on offer.
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Tartaruguita is a small family business. We’ve worked with Susana and Clàudio since 2018 and here we talk to Susana to find out more about the Five Stars Award, and what it means to her and the Tartaruguita team.
1. What is the Five Stars Award and how did it feel to win?
The Five Stars Award is presented to retailers who give excellence in their product range and their customer service. It’s judged by parents, grandparents and real consumers, rather than by a panel of judges, so it’s a very special award to win. Winning has been a real honour. It recognizes the commitment we make each day to give parents and their babies the best - and winning it for the third time consecutively has made us very proud.
2. What do you think is the most important thing an on-line retailer can offer their customer to be seen as “best in class?”
Customer satisfaction is key. We make sure we are always available and deliver a really personal service. We have a great relationship Tidy Tot who are always on hand to help answer any questions!
We also only stock products we can be sure are top quality, well designed and are real problem solvers. Tidy Tot is one of our best loved brands!
3. Which is your favourite Tidy Tot product, and why?
We love the Tidy Tot Cover & Catch Bib for its simplicity and ease of use. It’s so easy to put on, take off and clean 😊 We love it and so do our customers.
4. Why do you think the Tidy Tot Bib & Tray Kit is so useful for Baby Led Weaning?
As well as doing a great job at keeping baby clean and food off the floor, it encourages babies to freely discover different foods, textures, and flavours whilst allowing parents to relax. Parents don’t need to worry about stains and mess on clothes, and instead can focus on enjoying their baby's weaning journey and seeing them enjoy building a positive relationship with food and mealtimes.
5. What do your customers say about Tidy Tot, and why do you think they love it so much?
We are usually asked “why was this not invented sooner?!” Parents find it so useful – they feel able to relax and actually be a part of the baby's new phase/stage of development. No more mess and so easy to clean!
We congratulate Susana, Clàudio and the Tartaruguita team for their win and hope next year will be a winning one again 😊
We’ve put together some easter prints for your little one to decorate. Simply download them here, print and decorate! Don’t forget to put on our Long Length Coverall to protect your little one from any mess whilst designing their masterpiece.
If the weather holds out this Bank Holiday Weekend why not make it into an easter egg hunt! Here’s how:
1. Cut them out and attach a straw to them.
2. Place them around the garden (or house) for your little one to find. If you don’t have a garden, you could even take them down to your local park!
We would love to see your little one’s creations! Make sure to tag us over on Instagram so we can share!
Can you find the hidden easter eggs?
Once your little one has finished decorating, print out our image here and see if your little one can find the hidden easter eggs amongst our Tidy Tot friends!
Clue: There are 5 to be found.
The fun doesn’t have to end there! Why not try a nature trail?
Enjoy the spring air and print out our nature trail images here. Go on an adventure with your little one and show them all the spring sights! Each thing they spot can be ticked off the nature trail list, you can even add onto the list depending on where your adventure takes you. Here’s some ideas on where you can do your own nature trail:
1. Your local park.
2. A local farm.
3. On your walk to the shops.
4. Even your garden!
Wherever your trail takes you we hope you have lots of fun and a lovely Easter weekend!
Here are a couple of different methods to try, from renowned experts in the field, helping them to make that connection.
Click here to read more!]]>Introducing solid foods to your baby is one of the most exciting journey’s you will embark on. Although, it can come with an array of emotions and a few challenges with your little one ‘growing up’. This is such a magical milestone for you and your little one, so it's really important you are calm and take each day as it comes. It's normal to feel overwhelmed and anxious, but remember, when it comes to weaning there’s no rigid approach to BLW vs. purees. Some babies thrive on purees, others on finger foods, and some on both. My advice would be is instead of committing to a certain feeding philosophy, it's best to remain flexible in your approach. Follow your intuition and your baby's developmental signs.
In this article I will focus on weaning without waste – specifically when BLW where you may give your little one more control with feeding themselves. Naturally, we expect that this may come with some food being wasted. Tidy Tot carried out some research and found that typically, as much as 80% of a meal can be wasted during weaning. At the Flavour Academy we can show you and share some clever tips on reducing food waste when BLW
Above are a few tips which I have put together, but it is also very important to ensure you have a good bib which catches food well. The Bib and Tray kit is a wonderful way to reduce food waste and also encourages your little one to pick the food up again.
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Food prices are now at a 14 year high and with 70% of food waste coming from our homes it’s important than ever that we know how to reduce waste when we can. As well as helping the environment, it is estimated that the average family of 4 can save you up to £30 a week (£730 a year!) by reducing the amount of edible food that they throw away.
If you’ve just started on the Baby Led Weaning journey (or you are a seasoned pro!) you’ll already be familiar with the fact that those small tummies & ever-changing appetites of our little ones can mean that you’re often throwing away more food than you’d like…
Food waste is generally a big problem, not only for our wallets but also for the planet and when weaning, this food waste can feel out of our control. Fear not though, there are things we can do to help waste less food and knowing how to handle food & leftovers safely will help you to reduce your food waste without compromising on safety!
Research shows that food 'not being used in time' and cooking, preparing or serving too much food are 2 of the most common reasons for food waste in our homes[1]. So, here’s what you need to know…
It’s important not to confuse the two - sometimes it is just not worth taking the risk when our little one’s are involved! Put simply…
On the other hand….
And don’t forget to also keep checking on packs in the fridge that have been opened! You may have had another week (or even 2!) on your unopened packet of ham… but opening will change the shelf life and usually mean it needs to be used within the next couple of days or be popped in the freezer.
The good news is, providing you haven’t already reheated the meal from another day, you can keep any untouched leftovers and freeze almost anything! (Just make sure you pop leftovers in the fridge or freezer within 2 hours of cooking)
Use any leftovers kept in the fridge within 2 days (1 day for rice dishes). Remember that the fridge will slow down the growth of bacteria whilst the freezer acts as a “pause” button on food so if you don’t think you’re going to use your leftovers within the next couple of days, pop them in the freezer as soon as possible!
Further to the point above, I’m a HUGE advocate for keeping leftovers, but do not keep any half-eaten food or leftovers where the spoon has been ‘double dipped’. Bacteria from your baby’s mouth is transferred to the spoon and then into the food, which could then cause the bacteria to multiply in any saved leftovers.
Serve smaller portions (with the option of more if you like) is a great way around this! Always transfer food from the jar into a separate dish so you can safely keep your baby’s untouched leftovers.
Freezing is just like pressing ‘pause’ on your food and is the EASIEST way to make your food last so much longer! However, food should only be reheated once and any defrosted food should be consumed within 24 hours so make sure you divide your baby’s food into baby-friendly portions so you only ever defrost & reheat as much as you need for one meal. This is particularly important if you’re freezing foods that won’t be eaten by the whole family once defrosted; like purees or baby friendly snacks.
Organising your fridge so there is a first in-first out rotation system will help make sure you put new foods at the back and will ensure you naturally use older products with a shorter shelf life first! In addition, make sure your fridge is kept below 5C as this will help keep the food in your fridge safer and fresher for longer.
When you’re Baby Led Weaning, the Tidy Tot Bib & Tray Kit (which you can purchase here!) are a necessity to help avoid all that lovingly prepared food ending up straight on the floor!
Hopefully this blog has given you the tips you need to help you feel in control of reducing your food waste when weaning. In a world where a third of all food produced globally goes to waste, with the average UK household wasting an equivalent of 8 meals a week[1], anything we can do to reduce our wastage is a win! For more information on food safety when weaning & more tips, follow Jenna on Instagram & TikTok @foodsafetymum.
[1] WRAP; Food Surplus and Waste in the UK Key Facts
]]>What is Baby Led Weaning?
Baby Led Weaning is an approach to introducing solid food that gives babies control over what they eat and how much they eat. With Baby Led Weaning you offer them a variety of soft finger foods that they can pick up and feed themselves. You can offer a range of food including a vegetables, soft fruit and small baked goods - check out some of our food preparation guides and recipes here
How to spot when my little one is ready to wean?
When your little one is around 6 months old they will begin to show signs they are ready to start weaning. According to the NHS (start4life website) here are some of the signs they suggest looking out for and the commonly mistaken signs that indicate your little one isn’t quite ready to start weaning:
Signs they are ready to start weaning:
Signs which can be confused with your little one being ready:
Top tips for saving food waste with Baby Led Weaning
We know Baby Led Weaning can be messy and one big downside is the food waste it can generate. But don’t let this put you off following the Baby Led Weaning approach! we have some great tips to help you reduce food waste whilst weaning.
Baby Led Weaning is an exciting and rewarding way to introduce solid foods to your baby. By giving your baby control over what they eat and how much they eat, you’ll be helping them to develop healthy eating habits for life.
It’s important to do your research before getting started with baby led weaning, and to make sure that you’re following safety guidelines. With our food saving tips you’ll be ready to embark on this exciting journey with your little one. If you’re ready to get started with Baby Led Weaning, make sure to check out our award-winning Bib and Tray Kit! It’s the perfect way to start your baby on their journey of self-feeding and to make mealtimes that little bit easier for both of you. Happy feeding!
For more great tips and advice on food waste take a look at our blog on How to Reduce Food Waste When Baby Led Weaning
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You will need:
Start by cutting colourful tissue paper into hearts - we folded the paper a couple of times to make more hearts at the same time then you are set for you little one to have some fun.
Place the canvas in front of your little and allow them to wet the canvas – it only needs to be damp
Then begin placing the tissue hearts on top of the water and watch them stick - with no glue!
Repeat this until the canvas is covered.
Watch the colour from the tissue run into the water and create pretty washed-out colour pattens!
Once your little one has finished placing the tissue hearts and splashing in the water – set aside and allow to dry a little then cover with a watered down PVA glue.
When the tissue is stuck and dry, we then went in and added some gems and other textures for extra sensory fun!
All our multi award winning weaning bibs are perfect for this activity depending on your little one’s age – our Bib and Tray Kit offers the perfect surface for sensory play including water fun without getting wet and of course reducing clean up time. Our Cover and Catch Bib and Long Length coverall are also perfect for creative play keep your little one dry and clean.
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1. Adjust Portion sizes
Babies require different amounts of food at different stages of their weaning journey. When starting weaning, make sure portion sizes are small, not over-facing, and as you move to offering complete meals, try to offer a nutritionally balanced plate. As your baby starts finishing all the food on offer, you can then adjust your portion sizes as your baby grows and develops.
2. Avoid plating up too much at a time
Some days your baby will be hungrier than others. Holding back food and just placing a little on your baby’s plate at a time is a really simple way to reduce waste. You can save un-touched leftovers for the next meal, and your baby won’t have as much leftover food to throw - which generally happens at the end of the meal as they get full!. A massive 25% of food wasted in households is due to cooking, preparing, or serving too much food (WRAP 2021), so targeting this type of waste is a great way to help your food budget stretch that bit further.
3.Use Suction plates and bowls
Our suction plate and bowls are designed to stop little ones from throwing their plates onto the floor meaning your little one is free to enjoy their meal without it ending up on the floor! Our suction bowls are also designed with curved sides to help your toddler scoop their food easier. The sectioned plates will make it easier to serve the right portion sizes.
4. Re-use Food
Serve any untouched food to your baby at their next meal or add it to your own. If you didn’t manage to get your portion sizes for your little one quite right, you can freeze the food you made and offer it another day.
5. Use Bibs that Catch Food
Throwing food is common (but we hear you, so annoying!). It’s your baby’s strongest signal to communicate they’re full, or to let you know they’re simply not interested in eating right now. Having a good bib, such as our Bib & Tray Kit that pretty much eliminates food wasted to the floor and highchair seat like this, is a great solution. Food that would have been thrown to the floor is caught on the large tray and can be hygienically re-introduced.
6. Offer Foods that are part of your own meals
One of the many advantages of Baby Led Weaning is being able to offer your baby most foods that you eat yourself. Or if you’re spoon feeding your little one, you could always mash or puree your food down (watch the salt and sugar content) and use this instead of making a different meal. By offering your baby family meals, you save on time spent in the kitchen, reduce the number of foods you’re buying, and any leftovers can be added to your own portion.
7. Home Composting
If you have a garden, you could try home composting by disposing of fruit and veg in your garden. Creating a section in your garden where you can create a compost heap will help keep waste out of landfill.
The equivalent of eight meals per week is thrown away by UK households (WRAP 2021), by following these simple steps in your baby led weaning journey, you could help reduce food waste and save money.
What is baby led weaning? – in short, it’s offering foods to your little one and allowing them to try tastes in their own time. You can find out more about baby led weaning in this blog. Our blog on different ways to wean can help you understand which might suit your little one.
(Not sure if your baby is ready to wean? Take a look at our blog here to help you decide.)
• Vegetables which are served at Christmas make the perfect finger food for your little one
• Eating is very social and sitting at the table with your little one means you can model behaviours like chewing
• Christmas lunch is the perfect environment to try new tastes - from new vegetables to a small amount of Christmas pudding depending on age
• Baby can enjoy an incredible sensory experience with all the sensational smells from cooking Christmas dinner which is an important part of weaning (take a look at our sensory weaning approach)
• Seeing you eat your Christmas dinner is the perfect way to help establish a healthy relationship with food with your little one – don’t worry about sharing foods off your plate as long as there is plenty to go around…. encourage interest in new tastes
All the above also applies to spoon led weaning too if this is the weaning approach that you prefer. Simply puree all of the Christmas food that you want your baby to try , make plenty for future meals too and the dining experience can be just the same fun for your little one!
]]>Christmas can be extremely hectic with various family gatherings, Christmas parties and Christmas shopping to name but a few, so why not try one of our weaning bib solutions which help encourage independent eating and save on washing!
We have a range of great weaning bib solutions (they are award winning after all!)
Our Bib and Tray Kit offers full protection; it doesn’t just prevent your little one from getting messy, but it also stops the floor from getting messy too! It also doubles up as a great crafting space so your little one can join in with the glitter fun but save you time on clearing up!
The award-winning Cover & Catch bib is a brilliant compact weaning bib solution - it folds up into a small bag which is great for weaning whilst visiting family, catching all spills from your little one’s lap and saving their super cute Christmas outfit too!
The Long Length Coverall bib is a great all-rounder weaning bib, perfect for ages from 6 months to toddlers during Christmas mealtimes – saving laps from any gravy spills or mash disasters. You can encourage your little one to eat independently knowing their outfit if safe from stains and spills It’s also compatible with any high chair or booster seat and comes with a matching carry bag which is perfect for festive visits. Let’s face it carrying gifts around is enough without spare outfits too!
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You will need
• Paper plates
• Green paint (or whatever colour you want to paint your tree!)
• Glue
• Decorations – we used pom poms and pipe cleaners
How to make
1. Cut the paper plate into 4 triangles.
2. Paint the triangles the colour you want your tree to be
3. Wait for the paint to dry and then glue the pieces together.
4. Time to decorate! Use glue to add your decorations onto the tree.
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Chris offers fantastic tips and courses to help your little one get a better night sleep all year around – of course that means you do too!! So, take a look at his courses here and his blog… keep reading for instant tips around Bonfire Night and a special offer we have just for you!
1) For young babies, stick to your normal bedtime routine....or even a bit earlier.
If your little one isn't staying up for the fireworks, then you want them to be in a deep sleep before the fireworks start.
2) Don't be worried about giving them extra comfort.
Some little ones can get upset with the loud noises at this time of the year. Don't be concerned about offering them more support if they wake and are distressed. It won't throw out their normal routine.
3) Late Night?
That's ok. Let them lie in the next day. Big events like this are rare and we all need a bit of fun. On day off track wont impact sleep long term.
4) White noise.
Even if you don't use it regularly, it's a great tool to block out external noise.
5) Pyjamas under clothes.
For older toddlers who are going to fireworks displays, they may fall asleep in the car/buggy on the way home. It makes the transition to bed as easy as possible.
We hope you found them useful, Chris, The Daddy Sleep Consultant, also has a fantastic offer with his online course which helps with lots of different common sleep challenges. He is offering for a limited time only 15% off with code _FIREWORKS15 see link to book a course.
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