Parenting
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3 reasons to hire a tutor for your child
Kids have a lot on their plate, you guys! I mean, the extracurricular activities and buzzing social life alone are enough to drive any sane adult into a frenzy. Don’t forget to add that weekend sports match, music lessons, dance class and all the other extras that they do. Kids are pretty impressive if you ask me. Now add to that the pressure of keeping up good grades, and, well, you can see why I highly recommend hiring a tutor if needed.
When it comes to my children’s education, I am willing to pull out all the stops to ensure that they get exactly what they need to thrive. Through years of experience (give or take 4 babies) I’ve come to realise that each kid has unique learning patterns and they each learn at their own pace.
My child may sometimes need additional help – help that is unique to their educational needs and learning pace. As a parent, I will always try to find ways to make it easy for my child to thrive in their academics. Not convinced yet? Well here are 3 more reasons to consider hiring a tutor for your child:
Support
I’ve often left my kids to complete an assignment or homework by themselves, hoping that they are taking in as much information as possible. But the truth is that they are usually motoring through the work, wanting to complete it as quickly as possible, without really engaging with the content. A tutor can help them to focus on the task at hand, ensuring that the child understands the subject. Oh, and tutors are pretty ace when it comes to exam prep! Because let’s face it, Mom – we don’t always have the answer to those Trigonometry problems.
Comfort
A tutor is a great way to get your child out of their shell, and into a thinking space. The right tutor will create a comfortable learning experience, where the child can ask questions without being worried about getting them wrong. With a private tutor, learning will become a journey that the two of them take together. One-on-one time. and a great rapport between the child and the tutor may even increase your child’s confidence.
Efficiency One of the things that I love most, about a private tutor, is that the time spent is being used purposefully. You know that your child’s problem areas are being tackled gently and productively. You are also able to pinpoint the subjects and curriculum that your child may need extra help with. This is also a great way to help your child to get the basics right, which goes a long way toward understanding more complex topics of the subject.
When choosing a tutor for your child, make sure to do your research first! Over 25,000 parents have trusted Teach Me 2 for 14 years! Teach Me 2 provides a premier in-person and online tutoring service to learners and their families worldwide. Our goal is to help families prepare their kids for life by giving them confidence in areas they have struggled. Our service also provides first-time jobs and is a valuable source of income for tutors. We are passionate about developing people.
Disclaimer: This post has been sponsored by Teach Me 2.
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Is there a “deputy parent” in your home?
My husband and I have a span of 5 kids (3 small ones and we each have a bonus son). The 3 minis are the fruit of our loins, our offspring, the precious angels that are half him and half me.
So why is it that when people see me alone at a shopping mall, one of the first questions I am asked is: “who are the kids with?”
And when I need to travel for work, I find that people usually ask me who will be looking after the kids while I’m away. I’m not leaving them home alone to fend for themselves, Penny. They have a whole other parent who is very capable of caring for them too?!
It doesn’t end there, friends. I find that my kids also run to me if they have an eina, if they need something for school or if they have a bum to wipe. (Okay they aren’t exactly ‘running’ to me for that last thing but you get the gist.)
I don’t know about you, but this gives me “deputy parent” vibes.
A “deputy parent” implies that there is one primary caregiver in the home (usually Mom aka Parent-in-Chief) and one secondary caregiver (usually Dad aka Deputy Parent).
This unspoken norm basically implies that it’s Mom’s job to care for the kids, and Dad helps.
What in the “Stepford wives” is going on?! And how are we still allowing women to shoulder all the weight at home when we march for gender equality and demand equal pay in the office?
Both parents should be participating, equally, in the raising of the children (also because we both participated equally in the making of the children – seems fair).
I shouldn’t be asking Dad if he can keep an eye on the kids while I go to the shops. I mean, it’s YOUR kids too, Bruh, I’m just letting you know that I won’t be around for X amount of time.
Fathers cannot “babysit” their own children. I mean, that’s implying that Dad is doing Mom a favour by parenting the children in her absence. It also totally undermines the dad who actually IS putting in the work, by basically referring to him as temporary help.
Okay, okay, saltiness aside, I must admit that there has been a change in mindset over the past couple of decades. Young dads are choosing to be more present and more hands-on. (‘Sup Millenials)But are moms willing to give up their title, to accommodate the hands-on dad?
I know, I know, it’s tough (because he is totally going to mess up our routine) but letting go of the reigns would mean you’re giving Dad an opportunity to parent HIS way. You know, using his “daddy instincts” … and not your “mommy senses”. (Which is the same as ‘spidey sense’ but with a mom-bun.)
At the end of the day, parenting should always be intentional, with the child’s best interest at heart. Developing meaningful, healthy relationships with each parent is made easier when both parents are involved in the parenting process.
And however you get that right in your household, as long as Deputy Parent, Parent-in-Chief, Co-Chief Parent and – well – every other person in your organisation is on board with it, you should be okay.
(Disclaimer: While this may not be yours, mine or the Queen’s parenting situation at home, it definitely still is relevant… hence the blog post.)
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How to talk to your kids about death
Is one ever truly prepared to talk to your kids about death? The answer is no. It is a morbid topic – one we would prefer to ignore, thank you very much.
But the truth is that our kids have been exposed to so much this past year. This Covid-19 season has changed the narrative for many. And besides for having to deal with that trauma as an adult, imagine trying to compute it, as a young child with limited knowledge about death and dying.
My 6-year old is aware that contracting the virus could potentially mean death. I needed to tell her the truth about death and that there is hope at the end of it.
I visited a few of my favorite online resources for tips on how to start that conversation. Here is what I’ve learnt:
Preparation is important
Consider introducing the topic of death before a beloved pet or loved one dies. This gives your child some time to process the information in a calm way, without needing to deal with any other emotions at the same time. One website gave a great example of using cut flowers to help explain the concept of the life and death cycle.
When placing the flowers in water, you can talk about how full of life, bright and vibrant they are. Once they start wilting, you can talk about how the body is also not designed to live forever. Reiterating that our physical bodies can die due to various causes such as accidents, diseases (like the coronavirus) and old age. You may also want to distinguish between a “big sick” (Cancer etc) and a “small sick” (the flu). This will set your child’s mind at ease the next time you have the sniffles.
Tell the truth
It is in our nature, as parents, to want to protect our child from the harsh realities of this world. But knowledge is power. One website suggests not using fluffy names for death, dying, died and dead. I’ve often made up little stories to help protect them from the truth (eg. aunty so-and-so is on holiday in heaven) but by giving them the correct terminology and the correct understanding of the concept you are empowering your child to better deal with the situation.
Avoid using euphemisms like “sleeping” or “with the angels”. You will also need to explain that death is permanent and not temporary. You must be prepared to have an ongoing conversation about this as they reach new levels of revelation on the topic.
Talk about feelings Normalise feelings of sadness and grief by sharing your own experiences and feelings. In fact, be as vocal about it as possible (“I feel so sad that Grandma died”). This gives your child (especially boys, who may try to act tough and not show grief) permission to feel all their feelings. AND – more importantly – it gives them an outlet to express it in a healthy way.
I always try to end off the conversation with a message of hope or peace. I will also bring Jesus into the conversation and talk about God being our comforter. My conversation would go something along the lines of: “isn’t it amazing that God says that He is our comforter? So even now, when we’re feeling sad, God says He will be especially close to us, to help us feel better.”
Is Heaven real?
You would probably want to answer questions relating to heaven according to your own beliefs. I believe that God is real and that He promises us life after death, so I will be sharing that with my child. As a Christian, a conversation regarding death is a great way to teach your child more about Jesus. His life and death on earth was God’s way of giving us eternal life in heaven.
Even though the body dies on earth, the spirit lives on, in the presence of God – free of pain. My child will learn that we have a living hope through our relationship with God. She will also learn that we are offered life, after death, if we make a decision to partner with Him. I love that we are guaranteed to see each other again, in heaven – what a wonderful reunion that will be!
“We are more than dust… that means something. We are more than just blood and emotions, inklings and notions, atoms over oceans.” – Brooke Fraser, ‘Hosea’s Wife’
References:
How to talk to your kids about death and heaven
Crosswalk: How to talk to your kids about death
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Mommy, what happened to your tummy?
“Ew mommy, what happened to your tummy?” my little girl asked me, while keeping me company in the bathroom. Apparently I need supervision while I shower. Mind you, I knew the day would come when my kids would start paying attention to body parts. I just didn’t expect that MY body would be the first point of interest.
If I were to be sincerely honest – and I plan to be, because this blog is my therapy space – her question totally and completely devastated me. I mean, to say it nicely: it made me feel lekker junk.
It made me feel junk because, I mean, who has lus to hear about their flaws, and from their own offspring nogals.
But, it also made me feel junk because you kinda expect your child to think that you are a superhero (until they are 14 and detest the way you chew you food). I didn’t want my 6 year old to see me as weak or flawed, I guess.
Anyways… as this, and a billion other things (like: “dammit I need to go on that onion diet”) run through my head in a matter of seconds, I had to come up with a wise response to madam’s question.
Our conversation went something like this:Karis: Ew, mommy what happened to your tummy?!
Me: My tummy looks like this because I’ve had FOUR babies in it!
Karis: Is that alot?
Me: Well, yes, can you think of another mommy who has had four babies in her tummy?
Karis: (trying to calculate) Uhhhhhh no…
Me: There are many different ways to become a mommy, but not many mommy’s have had four babies in their own tummy’s. So yes, it’s alot. (Me trying to not sound defensive lol)
Karis: But mommy, I’ve seen other mommy’s who have tummy’s like yours too and I don’t think they’ve had four babies in it.
Me: That’s because a mommy’s tummy is a magical place… even if she’s only had 1 baby in it!
Karis: (scrunching her nose) Is that why your tummy is so big?
Me: Yes! Because a baby has to grow and live in a mummy’s time for a long time before it comes out! So that’s why my tummy is so fluffy.
(Can we all take a moment to collectively laugh at the fact that I called my tummy “fluffy”)
Karis: (thinking)
Me: (bracing myself for questions about how babies get into tummy’s in the first place)
Karis: Mommy
Me: Yes babes (trying to quickly put on a t-shirt before homegirl asks me why my boobs are so saggy lol)
Karis: I think I also want to have four babies one day…
Me: (burst into a flood of tears, as I rock back and forth, on the floor in fetal position)
Kidding. But I did have a moment of intense pride. And it totally did kick the butt of my insecurity. The conversation reminded me that I am the blueprint… If I want my daughter to love her body, I need to show her that I love mine. These days I am a lot more mindful about what I speak over myself, especially when I am around her.
My body – your body – is a gift. God’s grand design. I want her to grow up knowing that no matter how toned or not toned her ab muscles are, or how jiggly her thighs are or how wide her hips are… she is His precious masterpiece and her body was created with purpose and beauty in mind.
So that’s my reminder to you today my friend. You are a masterpiece. Fluffy tummy and all
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Pregnant again?
Now, as you may know, I have a lot of children, and (like all other children) they are especially cute… so one could say that we’ve done a good job at creating kids. Right?
Until I give off a whiff of my favorite scent – Eau De Pregnant – and people start losing their metaphorical ish. Because, apparently, I’m only allowed to be pregnant a certain amount of times AND within a certain period, or else I’m straight up being sloppy… and that’s not a good look.
Well, that’s what I heard from all the ‘CEO of Ovaries‘ who cared to weigh in on the topic.
So yes, I’ve been told to take a break from baby making, I’ve also been advised to not fall pregnant again. (The word “again” used as an obvious and necessary way to highlight that I’ve been “with child” one too many times for their liking.) Clearly, my ovaries have fulfilled it’s baby making quota and I need to curb my enthusiasm.
Sir, Yes Sir.
Aye, aye Captain!
So thankful for all these regular reminders, you know? It’s, like, SOOOO helpful!*insert eye roll*
But hey, subliminal bitterness aside, I’m actually pretty immune (read: numb) to comments about the mass production of little William’s that we’ve managed to create and oversee. I mean, one could say that I’m an expert at the polite laugh and quirky comeback already. I don’t even get offended anymore.
But, my own thick skin aside, I didn’t realise just how damaging thoughtless comments could be until someone close me fell pregnant and refused to let anyone know.
Now, this person is married, has a bunch of kids already and provides a stable and happy home environment for all of them. So why be afraid to let people know that she’s pregnant again? Well, because apparently it’s okay to have an opinion about someone else’s ovaries. I mean, don’t tell a school girl what type of hairstyle she’s allowed to wear, and God forbid you try to tell a boy to only play with blue toys, but hey, if you’re needing an outlet, DO tell a Pregnant Mama that she shouldn’t be pregnant again.Because, you know, “the rest of us” are not wanting to have more than 1 or 2 babies so, uhm, you should follow that pattern too, Pregnant Mama! How DARE YOU do what YOU want with your own body!!! The outrage! The audacity! Somebody call the EFF immediately, we need some protest action! We demand a lock down level 5 of your ovaries!
*Cough* Okay, that went a bit too far.
Anyways, said Pregnant Mama called me to let me know that she was expecting baby number 7 soon. My reaction? “Oh wow, that’s amazing, why didn’t you tell me earlier?!” She explained that this would probably be her last baby and that she really wanted to enjoy this pregnancy, without the onslaught of negative comments.
Fair enough.
Pregnant Mama went on to tell me that a doctor she visited (he’s a specialist in his field) made such a big deal about the fact that she has carried this many babies successfully. According to him… a specialist who deals with pregnant women on the regular… she should give herself a flippen pat on the back. And she should.
But instead, she chose to keep her miracle 7th pregnancy under wraps… guess why… because she didn’t want to upset OTHER people who wouldn’t appreciate that she is pregnant again. Like, HUH?!
I don’t know about you moms, but when I was pregnant, the last thing I wanted to do was worry about what other people thought about my unborn child… my blessing… my glorious gift from God! And here this Pregnant Mama chose to secretly celebrate her baby with her hubby, when all she wanted to do was tell the world how excited they are.
I guess I will always feel like a victim when this topic comes up.
And I guess that, yep, there are cases where the parents are unable to care for many children. There are situations where the home environment is not ideal for the upbringing of a child.
But I am writing as someone who is able to love and care for (financially) the many kids that I currently have… as someone who has faced judgement, even though my pregnancy’s took place within a happy marriage and stable home situation.
Not here to debate. I’m not Debora Patta.
But what I am here to say is this: don’t try to disguise your judgement as concern.
Because if you’re really concerned about a Pregnant Mama, you would know that creating an atmosphere of love and peace around her is the best thing for her and baby.
If you really are concerned about Pregnant Mama you wouldn’t try to paint her with your paint brush and then wonder why the picture comes out differently. We all have our own dreams and aspirations. Some of us want to be successful career women and entrepreneurs… some of us want to be kickass moms to as many kids as possible. Some of us want to be (and CAN be) both! Neither one is the “better” option. Susan.
And finally, if you really are concerned with Pregnant Mama you would realise that your concern is misplaced. I mean, take your concern and point it towards something that actually needs it. You know? GBV, Race Discrimination, Teenage Pregnancy… pick a struggle. Because I speak on behalf of myself and all the other “moms of many kids” when I say that our ovaries are doing juuuuust fine without your concern, thanks.
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Cooking with NESTLÉ for Healthier Kids
Can I let you in on a little secret? When it comes to the kitchen, I’m not exactly a cooking maven. In a nutshell, I have the culinary prowess of a french poodle. Ironically, I’ve noticed that my kids seemed to really enjoy spending time with me in the kitchen. They find the measuring and mixing particularly exciting and we usually end up sharing stories and silly moments while cooking up a storm.
So I was particularly thrilled to receive a special drop from NESTLÉ, introducing us to the NESTLÉ for Healthier Kids initiative. This global campaign champions happy, nutritional moments of togetherness between parents and kids. I mean, our kids do what we do. What better way to encourage healthy eating, than by doing it together?
It’s been proven that by getting kids involved in the prep of their meals, you are able to help them to adopt healthier eating habits that include more veggies, fruits and diversified protein sources.
I love that the NESTLÉ for Healthier Kids campaign strives to help 50 million children lead healthier lives by the year 2030. Their response to this very real need is to launch more nutritious foods and beverages worldwide to answer children’s nutritional needs, while providing nutrition education through school programs, as well as everyday tips and healthy recipes for parents.
These healthy recipes come in a super fun recipe storybook called Sam Dreams, with lead characters Sam and Nandi. I mean, storytelling is a fun activity, anyways, so what better way to get your kid thinking and talking about eating healthy than by speaking to their imaginations?
Using our NESTLÉ for Healthier Kids recipe storybook, Kari and Jo tried their hand at yummy flapjacks and healthy muesli bars. Both were a definite win!
Read up about the NESTLÉ for Healthier Kids campaign and download your very own NESTLÉ for Healthier Kids recipe storybook on the NESTLÉ website.
You can check out Kari and Jo’s cooking skills here:
NESTLÉ Nespray Big Moon Flapjacks
NESTLÉ Milo Treasure Chest Muesli Bars
Disclaimer: I collaborated with NESTLÉ and participated in the NESTLÉ for Healthier Kids campaign
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When to talk to your child about career
I don’t know if you guys are aware, but your cute little poppets are going to morph into hairy, sweaty, opinionated teenagers eventually. And, besides for all the hair and body odour, the opinionated part will probably be the thing that irks you the most.
For me and my hairy teen, the biggest debate has been around career. I mean, if the kid could make a living off of playing XBox games, he would gladly do so. But alas, this option (even though its a real career nogals) is not available to him right now.
We’ve toyed around with a bunch of different career options and we honestly still have not figured out what his “one” is. But it kinda made me realise that I should have delved deeper into this convo while he was still at high school.
In fact, there are a bunch of conversations that should take place while your kid is still of school going age. Don’t be like me. Me thought that my boy was too young to have big conversations about his future. Me protected him from all the harsh elements of the world a bit toooooo much. Me raised him in a bubble.
Me regrets it.
If I had a time machine I would totes go back a couple of years, talk about career and “how do you plan to make money one day” more in depth.
The other mind blowing fact (hold on to your pants, this could get messy) is that: what YOU want for your child may not be what THEY want for themselves. Like, I totes want my child to be a successful graphic designer/creative director/multimedia animator. He loves art. I love all things digital. Seems like the best thing for mehim.I had to let go of MY ideal and, instead, try to learn how to listen to his vision for his own life.
At the end of the day, friends, if you have a relationship with God, it’s never too early to lean on the Lord with regards to your child’s future/career. In fact, I’ve already begun to coax Karis into speaking to God and asking Him to reveal what He wants her to do.
My prayer is that Gods plan for her life becomes her focus and goal. Teaching my child how to dream with God and plan with Him, is probably a better solution than, say, forcing him to do graphic design because I need someone to design the graphics for my blog. *cough*
I mean, figuratively speaking.
Anyways, my advice to moms with youngs kids is: Unpack your child’s interests and strengths, at a young age, and allow them to take the lead wrt their future careers and goals. Pray for wisdom. Pray for clever ways to help gently coax them towards their destiny, without overstepping. Pray for your ego to be put aside, and for God’s will to be prevalent.
And most importantly, pray for patience, because you’re definitely going to need it.
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4 Ways To “Slow Down” Our Happy Memories With Our Children
We’ve all had that feeling that childhood passes by too quickly. We parents wake up one day and our kids no longer want to play with us, and we feel like our recollection of this golden time of endearing neediness has slipped away. Well, what if there were a way to work against this feeling? To make the memory of our children’s childhood feel slower, broader, deeper, richer? A quick dip into the history of memory, of mnemonic techniques, can offer a guide as to how.
1. Keep Track of Firsts. The key to expanding the sense of richness and breadth of our interactions with our kids is by quantifying and recording what we do with them. Keeping track of what you do, the effort you put in, what you teach your kids and how, when they have firsts (first time watching Mary Poppins, first time whistling, first time eating curry and so on) helps in a number of ways. The biggest plus is psychological. I use a daily planner and a journaling smartphone app to keep very basic, sketched-out notes about what my wife and I do with our kids each day. I include anything that felt unusual, special, out of the ordinary.
2. Diversify What You Do with Your Kids and Where You Do It. Expanding our memory of our children’s youth is more about the diversity of interactions and their locations, and about recording them (in a journal, app, through video and photos, and so on) than anything else. We tend to get lazy and engage in the same things every week, sometimes every evening. A Peppa Pig episode on the couch before bed. Pancakes for breakfast on lazy Sunday mornings. Our kids enjoy these habits, they are easy to slip into, so why change? The “why change” question is answered by a look at how we remember. We remember things that are unusual, distinctive, out of the ordinary, as if they are highlighted, standing out, whereas quotidian matters feel like one long continuum when we think back on them.
3. Changing Locations Helps Us Remember Activities. We also remember things we did in diverse, new places better than places we spend a lot of time. Even if we do something we love, for instance biking with our kids on a favorite path in the woods near our home, if we do the same thing 100 times, in our memory those 100 times will merge into one pleasant recollection. If we go to 100 different locations, each one will settle into our memory more distinctly, because it was new.4. Borrow the Ancient “Memory Palace” Technique and Focus on the Weird. The “memory palace” technique is a memorization approach that dates back to ancient Athens and was taught throughout Europe until the early 20th century. The shorthand version of it is that things we wish to remember should be associated with the weirdest, most surreal, silly images we can think of, because we remember weirdness better than normalcy. You’d probably remember the time you were out fishing and a trout jumped out of the river and into your boat, right? Well, if that happened every time you went fishing it wouldn’t be noteworthy, would it? Seek out new, different, surreal, silly, weird activities and moments, and they’ll be treasured in your memory, and your child’s, much more vividly than anything “normal.”
These techniques are just part of my new book, Superpower Your Kids: A Professor’s Guide to Teaching Your Children Everything in Just 15 Minutes a Day. It’s limited-edition, available only in June for backers of a Kickstarter campaign for the book + a tie-in smartphone app. The book looks at how we parents can borrow some techniques used in teaching at university level and scale them down to inspire a love of learning in young children (age 3-12 or so). But that’s just part of it. As much as the book explores tricks to teach our kids in a way that feels, to them, like playing (and each new piece of knowledge or experience wins them a new “superpower”), a section also is especially for us parents. If we can expand, deepen and “slow down” our happy memories with our children, then that is a gift for parents when our kids are get older.
AuthorNoah Charney is a professor, presenter, columnist and Pulitzer-nominated best-selling author of more than a dozen books. An American, he has lived for more than a decade in Slovenia with his family and hairless dog. You can check him out on Instagram, Facebook and Ted.
Images: All images in this post were supplied by Noah Charney
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Do you have a favorite child?
Okay, be honest (and you’re allowed to be… no judgies over here): do you have a favorite child?
Don’t look at me like that, Susan. I’m not asking you to pick which one you’d save in a fire. (But okay, while we’re on it, which one? Kidding!)
I know the immediate response to this question would be shock, horror, outrage, guilt. But having a favorite child is not as uncommon as you think.
I mean, if you had to take a quick scroll through my Instagram feed you would see that I talk about some of my kids a heck of a lot more than I do the others. I’m not even going to deny it. It’s there.
But, to be honest, when it comes to topics of conversation, Jonah’s drummer antics and Kari’s love for fashion honestly feels a lot more “sharey” than telling people what colour Asher’s poo was yesterday.
And our teenage sons would rather I don’t take pics of them… or talk about them… or talk to them… or look at them for too long… or breathe in the same air as them…So a lot of my current time is spent talking about my two littlest
bratskids. It is what it is. That doesn’t mean that they are my favorites. Gasp! What type of a mom do you think I am?! (FYI: I’m not like a regular mom, I’m a cool mom. #moviequote)But, what if I told you that research suggests that most parents have a favorite child. Some studies say that shared interests, birth order and gender play a huge part in this. And even if you feel that you don’t have a favorite, you most likely show preferential treatment to one of your kids, in some way or other.
Now, contrary to popular belief, having a favorite child doesn’t actually mean that you love one kid more than the other. People (you know, the clever people who get paid to find these things out) say that your perceived favorite usually is the one that your personality resonates with more.
Favoritism is essentially behavior-based… usually unconscious. And it’s essentially very fluid, since you could probably change your mind about it every day/week/month.
So yes, a favorite child isn’t that uncommon. But, I mean, don’t go all crazy with the cherry-picking. You don’t want to unintentionally create a sibling rivalry (ala Mufasa vs Scar). Blatantly favoring one kid over the other could potentially create insecurities that would lay a foundation for deeper issues.
I guess you could say that the ideal solution would be to not have favorites. But, to me, I try to make them all my favorite. (I know, how whimsical sounding)
But seriously, you guys, if I had to choose a fave, it would be the child that is the most well behaved (because mama’s tired).So yes, as you can see, I’m kinda torn when it comes to choosing a favorite. I think that each of them are a favorite in their own special way. I mean, they each embody something that I love, treasure and favor.
But I’m definitely more aware of my subconscious motivations… striving to love each of them exactly how THEY NEED me to love them, as individuals. And being aware of the things that set them apart… all my favorite things about them.
And, if we’re going to be completely transparent about this, they all contribute equally to mama being ‘zausted, so I guess there’s an element of balance.
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SnuggleRoo and the benefits of baby carrying {Giveaway!}
My baby doesn’t want to leave me alone. And I say this with all the love in my heart. The kid wants to be in my arms like, 24/7, you guys! It’s kinda draining. I’m not okay.
I eventually realised that I needed help of a baby carrier to literally help lighten the load of carrying a 8kg baby in my arms the whole day. To be honest, the idea of wrapping or tying my newborn to my body didn’t exactly thrill me. I wasn’t 100% convinced that I could comfortably tie my giant child to my body, without, you know, breaking something or hurting my back. I also had these really scary visions of the wrap breaking or untying, and baby dropping to his doom, as I shriek in panic and despair. (I know, sounds like a movie).
But more than that, I thought that baby carrying was detrimental to my baby’s growth.
Anyways, I eventually got my hands on a SnuggleRoo Baby Carrier and found some interesting information in the package. I learnt that baby carrying IS safe and it’s actually great for babies who suffer with reflux, since they should be carried upright, for atleast 20 minutes after every feed. (Did you know this? I didn’t!) Colic babies will also benefit from this since there is a lot less over stimulation and very soothing.Moving with baby helps to stimulate the brain (another thing I didn’t know) and having baby in chest to chest position protects the C-shaped curvature of baby’s spine.
OT and baby expert, Meg Faure, explains that carrying your baby helps to imitate the movement and hug of the womb. It promotes bonding and trust and reduces stress levels. It is for this very reason that she endorses the SnuggleRoo Baby Carrier!My first experience with my SnuggleRoo went down well. For starters, it’s easier to put on than I had imagined. In fact, it slips on like a shirt and is easily adjustable for a perfect fit every time. I like that it has an extra support band that you can position over baby’s back and under the nappy. It provides extra support and gives the feel of a snug fit. The support band later converts into a carrier for your baby carrier. How nifty?
And friends, for some reason, my baby falls asleep so quickly when he is in the carrier. I figured that it’s because it mimics the comforting tight hug of the womb.
The SnuggleRoo carrier can be used in various positions, such as forward facing and even in a hip hold. And if you’re a hands-free kinda mom, like I am, then you’ll appreciate that you can get so much done while having baby close to you. This is essential for a busy mom.
Win a SnuggleRoo Baby Carrier!SnuggleRoo is giving a baby carrier to one lucky reader!
To enter, simply follow the prompts below:
1. Find the specially marked post on Instagram and follow instruction to grab 1 entry.
2. Find the specially marked post on Facebook and follow instruction to grab 1 entry.
3. Comment below and let me know what you think of the book, to grab 1 entry.Giveaway open to SA residents only. Winner announced on 16 December and has 24 hours to claim prize.
This review and giveaway was done in collaboration with SnuggleRoo. Some of the images in this post was taken from the SnuggleRoo website.
