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Stuff which helps to make bringing up baby easier !

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I think it`d be a good idea to have a thread on here where parents can tell other parents about things they`ve discovered which has made (that hardest thing) bringing up a baby/toddler easier. So anything you`ve found (particularly which may not be so well known), get it on here !

 

We`ve found the following very helpful.

 

Velcro bibs are a crap idea. Our lad could pull them off from a relatively young age and that was before they`d been through the washer which in very short order makes the velcro non stick. Useless.

For bibs snap fasteners are where it`s at, but most bibs which come with those are a bit smaller/posher/smarter/more expensive. So we fit our own snap fasteners. We tried the sew on ones but they were a pain to sew on and generally didn`t stay on very long. We`ve found the rivet on type are quick to fit and last well. You don`t need any tools (apart from a hammer and the supplied "anvil") and the 10mm size "Prym" type are available from Fine Fabrics on Hillsborough road at 10 for £4.

 

Feeding your little one means your own food tends to go cold...... We`ve found that a pizza stone (ours were about £5 from Home Bargains in Hillsborough shopping centre) heated up in the oven whilst cooking your meal then placed under your plate keeps your food hotter for much longer whilst your little varmint messes about with his nosh.

 

You don`t have to spend loads on a pushchair, we bought a Red Kite Quattro from Asda, mainly because we didn`t have the time or inclination to look at loads of different ones and we were in Asda anyway. It`s been great, it only cost £50, it`s light, it`s compact, it reclines and it`s had loads of hammer in the last 14 months including trips to Spain and Tenerife, but it still works fine. With a bit of practice you can (just about) unfold it with one hand. It`s a good idea to spray a bit of WD40 onto the wheel spindles every few months. The pushchair was an impulse buy but a good one.....

 

I really don`t know what we`d do without our "highchair booster seat" e.g. this one from Asda. It isn`t that big so you can take it out with you and if the restaurant where you end up eating hasn`t got a highchair you`ve bought your own ! In fact we took it to Tenerife and it was a good job we did because the apartment didn`t have a high chair. Very handy for Indian restaurants which often don`t have high chairs, even though the staff in almost all the ones we`ve ever been in are unfailingly friendly to our cheeky little sweetie. Be careful though, they don`t fit all seats (it doesn`t work so well with seats with arms or wrap around backs) so we check out whether the restaurant has seats which are suitable (or a high chair) before we sit down !

 

A "non contact thermometer" makes it so much easier to take a kiddies temperature. I was sceptical it`d work when I saw it in Boots, and it was expensive (on offer for £30, down from £40), but their non contact thermometer works brilliantly and can help reduce worry about whether our little cheeky is really ill or not. You just hold it 2 or 3 inches from their forehead, press the button and it instantly gives you their temperature. Not cheap, but definitely worth it.

Edited by Justin Smith

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Nice idea!

 

For me I found using a sling (not a regular high street carrier) absolutely invaluable, I found it made baby more settled, gave me my hands back, helped develop a bond with my baby and generally ease us into new parenthood. My husband also enjoys carrying our eldest child which helped her to deal with the new arrival who took up a lot of my time.

 

I found learning about how and why babies and toddlers do things they do a great help in increasing my patience and ability to deal with typical baby and toddler behaviour.

 

Co-sleeping (after learning how to keep safe) was a definite must for number two as it meant we all got better sleep.

 

Cloth nappies and wipes saved us a fortune.

 

Finding all the amazing communities in Sheffield both virtual and real life just about keeps me sane and learning every day!

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Great idea for a thread, I'll be watching to see if anyone has any tips I don't know yet. Even with 4 kids I'm sure there's something I haven't cottoned onto yet!

 

I keep spare pants/trousers in the pocket on the back of my car seats for those oops moments when Littlest falls asleep and has an accident. If you keep these items in a carrier bag you have somewhere for the wet clothes, also carrier bags on the booster seat will stop it getting wet. I also discovered that you can get puppy training pads fairly cheap, these obviously absorb any accidents and keep your booster/car seats dry.

 

Of course, colouring books and crayons are a must to keep in the car. Great for boring journeys or taking into restaurants etc.

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This: http://www.mothercare.com/Tiny-Love-Supermat/288073,default,pd.html

 

(There are similar and cheaper ones out there, we bought this in the sale!!)

 

The mat is a decent size, is very absorbent and the waterproof backing means that your carpet is protected from any accidents and can be used outside. My LO was a projectile vomiter and so we used this everyday until he was at least 6 months old, saved us having a stinky, sicky carpet!! Also the mat can be washed and dried overnight due to the material!

 

Also more of a tip, but when he had chicken pox we bathed him every night in porridge (fill an old sock with porridge oats and add to bath)

He was covered in spots but they didn't bother him and he didn't scratch once!

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Not much of a tip but I really want to recommend Aldi's Mamia nappies which are so much cheaper than big name brands and are great quality. They've won awards too.

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I was unconvinced about buying clothes and stuff from charity shops but fortunately my wife was rather more sensible. She`s got some really nice clothes from them for ridiculously little money. And the fact is, particularly if you send your kid(s) to nursery where they can get pretty messed up with paint and stuff, dressing them in the cheapest stuff is very sensible.

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second hand clothes for your little one is a great idea. They hardly get any wear as they quickly grow out of them. Ebay is great for bargains on clothes for babies and toddlers!

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Don't buy things in advance thinking you might need it - wait until you know you need something. We've got lots of unused stuff that we thought we'd need.

 

Also, get one of those russian style hats with a chin strap. Keeps their ears warm and they can't yank them off!

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Blackout curtains are fantastic in summer. Cons the child into thinking it's dark in the evening so they go to sleep and still night time in the morning and stops them (and you) getting up too early. We just use a dark sheet and hang it over the net curtain pole and it blocks the light completely

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Feeding your little one means your own food tends to go cold...... We`ve found that a pizza stone (ours were about £5 from Home Bargains in Hillsborough shopping centre) heated up in the oven whilst cooking your meal then placed under your plate keeps your food hotter for much longer whilst your little varmint messes about with his nosh.

 

Our fabulous little PITA can more or less feed himself now, but we still use the pizza stones, as plate "keep warmers". You`d be amazed how well they work, they`re an absolute boon to us because we both dislike tepid food even more than everyone else. It`s amazing how many restaurants and cafes seem to think their customers are quite happy to eat tepid food, any eatery which serves hot food on a cold plate should be shut down by the hot food police......

 

---------- Post added 09-01-2015 at 09:37 ----------

 

Don't buy things in advance thinking you might need it - wait until you know you need something. We've got lots of unused stuff that we thought we'd need.

 

I think this is particularly good advice these days when most large supermarkets have quite extensive ranges of baby stuff, so it`s much easier to get it quickly.

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I really don`t know what we`d do without our "highchair booster seat" e.g. this one from Asda. It isn`t that big so you can take it out with you and if the restaurant where you end up eating hasn`t got a highchair you`ve bought your own ! In fact we took it to Tenerife and it was a good job we did because the apartment didn`t have a high chair. Very handy for Indian restaurants which often don`t have high chairs, even though the staff in almost all the ones we`ve ever been in are unfailingly friendly to our cheeky little sweetie. Be careful though, they don`t fit all seats (it doesn`t work so well with seats with arms or wrap around backs) so we check out whether the restaurant has seats which are suitable (or a high chair) before we sit down !

 

We`ve taken our Munchkin seat away twice more since then for just this reason. Most restaurants in tourist areas have high chairs, but most of the apartments we`ve rented don`t, or want to charge you loads to rent one !

Lifesaver.....

 

---------- Post added 23-10-2015 at 14:15 ----------

 

Blackout curtains are fantastic in summer. Cons the child into thinking it's dark in the evening so they go to sleep and still night time in the morning and stops them (and you) getting up too early. We just use a dark sheet and hang it over the net curtain pole and it blocks the light completely

 

Very worthwhile.

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