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The prospect of long journeys with small children can fill parents with dread. But with a little bit of preparation, it needn’t be a headache!

 

Preparing for a long car journey:

Car journeys can be difficult as the child is restrained in one place for a long period of time. Before you start, make sure you have prepared a bag of goodies to help you on your way. We like:

> Story and song CD’s

> Small hand held computers if the child is old enough (such as a DS)

> Lap trays – these allow you to also pack colouring books, pencils and travel games

> Small toys – but nothing so tiny it can get lost down the backs of seats!

> Books

You may find a seat organiser comes in handy – you can pop a selection of items into the seat organiser for the child to help themselves to.

I also find it handy to have a few snacks and drinks to hand, and remember to stop frequently to allow your child to get out and stretch their legs. Research the best places to stop for nappy changes and feeding etc before you go, so there is no driving round in circles trying to find somewhere to stop!

 

Preparing for a train journey:

Kids love trains. The beauty of trains is that the child does not have to stay in one place for a long time, and it means the parents have their hands free to occupy little ones! Again, take a bag full of activities – books, games, colouring and magazines are all popular. As you don’t have the pressure of driving, you are able to engage in these activities with your child, meaning they tend to stay focused longer.

When they get bored of this, you have the freedom to move around. Take your little one for a walk up and down the carriages, and talk about what you can see out of the windows. A trip to the buffet car is also exciting for small children – allow them to pick a small treat to take back to their seat.

Make sure you know where the toilets are on the train – there is nothing worse than a frantic search with a small toddler!

 

Preparing for a plane journey:

Plane journeys can worry parents, as you are in a small confined space with lots of other passengers, and you don’t know how your little one will react.

Yet again, plan ahead. Show your child pictures and videos of aeroplanes, and maybe even take them to the airport to see planes taking off before you travel. Explain what will happen, and what you expect from them.

Pack a small bag with your child’s favourite things (don’t forget children can have their own hand luggage). Bring out one item at a time to play with your child – this way things get played with longer than if you have everything out at once.

Take boiled sweets for older children to suck at take off, or try chewy sweets for smaller tots. For babies, breast or bottle feed during take off to stop the painful pressure in their ears. Try not to let other passengers worry you – if your baby is crying, deal with it as you would at home – you will find most people are sympathetic and helpful.

If possible, plan your flights around the time your little one usually sleeps – many children sleep really well on planes, and it means you can relax and enjoy your flight!

 

Most of all, whatever your mode of transport, try not to let your child see you getting stressed. If you are happy, chatty and relaxed, then your child will be too. Although it may be a long journey, it will be over soon, and you can get on with enjoying your trip!

Read more from Kate on her blog, and follow Family Fever on twitter and facebook.

 

With summer apparently just around the corner, now is a good time to start thinking about how to make your pushchair summer-fun ready. A good way to do this is by researching useful accessories. I have compiled a list of things I think are great to have on summer standby.

1. Pushchair liner

A pushchair liner is simply an insert for your pushchair seat. I find these really useful in summer when you no longer need to use the footmuff, but still want to protect the fabric of your pushchair. They come in a huge range of materials and designs, so there is bound to be one to suit your tastes. It is always worth making sure the one you go for is machine washable so it’s easy to remove all those ice cream marks!

2. Pushchair carry bag

If you are going on holiday, or travelling on days out during the summer, a travel bag is a great investment. It is a ‘holdall’ for storing and transporting your pushchair in. Not only does it keep your pushchair and accessories all in one place, but it makes it easy to move around, and protects it from scratching and damage. This is especially useful if you are brave enough to be travelling on an aeroplane as damage can sometimes occur during transit.

3. Parasol

When the sun does shine, you will want a way of keeping it out of your baby’s face. This is where a parasol comes in handy. They attach to the frame of your pushchair and can be adjusted to the correct position to shade your little one. There are many universal styles, as well as specific branded ones, but remember to check the attachments as some may need adaptors to fit your pushchair frame.

4. Changing bag

You may already have a changing bag, but it is most definetley a summer essential, so if you are due to become a mum this summer, make sure this is on your must have list! In the summer months, there always seems to be lots to carry – spare clothes, sun hats, suncream, picnics, drinks for you and baby as well as all the usual paraphernalia having a baby with you requires! So make sure you invest in a good sized changing bag that can carry everything you need. Some also have insulated pockets which can be great for keeping food and drinks cold on a hot summer day.

5. Raincover

Ok, not strictly a typical summer accessory, but we do live in the UK, so at some point during the summer it is likely you will need a raincover for your pushchair. Again, there are universal styles, and branded styles so make sure you get one which fits your pushchair securely to kepp out the summer showers! Some raincovers also have a window flap in the front which allows you to reach in and access baby without removing the whole raincover – consider whether this is something which would be useful for you.

I am hoping that summer is on the way to us very shortly so we can all get out and enjoy the sunshine!

Read more from Kate on her blog, and follow Family Fever on twitter and facebook.

Chantelle Hazelden, from Mama Mummy Mum, shows us some crafty ideas for entertaining children during the holidays.

During the school holidays I sometimes struggle to think of things to keep the children occupied that don't cost an arm and a leg. I found one of the best things to keep my kids entertained is to do some sort of art & crafts with them, it doesn't have to be expensive as a lot of things you will normally have around the house anyway. 

1:  Musical Shakers

2: Pasta Jewellery

3: Potato Printing

4: Magic Mud

5: Paper Fans

You can read Chantelle's blog here for more tips and follow her on twitter and Facebook.

As we're soon approaching National Breastfeeding Awareness Week (25th June) I thought it only apt to write a blog about how my life has changed now that my boobs seem to be permanently out. It was always my intention to breastfeed, but I never really realised how hard it would be to get the hang of, and quite how difficult the whole process would be. I guess I imagined it to be something along the lines of; boob out, whack her on, jobs a good'un, but it didn't quite go like that.

I might as well take you back to the beginning - the birth of my wonderful monster. She latched on as soon as she came out, and almost instantly a feeling of utter pride washed over me. I found it amazing how this tiny thing, barely an hour old, seemed to know exactly what to do. Unfortunately, my euphoria was short lived, for by the time we got round to her third feed, it was like she'd forgotten. Plus, my nipples hurt like mad (sorry to any men reading this, but you have to know, it can be bloody painful at the start!). I asked a midwife for assistance, as I was deeply hormonal (not surprisingly), and concerned that Shyloh would starve... I was told to massage my breast and collect any drops that came out into a syringe. I immediately started sobbing, and it wasn't until the next duty midwife came along that she suggested laying down to feed her, which worked a treat. Obstacle number one over.

The early days are quite a blur, but I remember it being very tricky to get the hang of what I was actually supposed to be doing, and how best to teach Shyloh. Thom would have to make me a little bed of a million blankets on the living room floor so I could lay down every feed (glad we grew out of that!), and the cats would always want to lay with us. I felt like I was always breastfeeding in the early days, and to be honest I probably was, for there was a point where Shy would feed every 1.5 to 2 hours. We went to a breastfeeding clinic, and bless Thom, he had to sit there with a dozen women all with their baps out... probably would have been a pleasant experience for him under other circumstances! I also leaked like mad, I would be feeding off of one boob and the other would start gushing... ok, that's probably too much information, but you need to know these things!

I've had to feed in some pretty interesting places. Remembrance Day, slap bang on the 2 minute silence, Shyloh starts wailing so I resorted to feeding her on the floor of the cobble stoned market square in front of hundreds of veterans. During an interview... yes, you read right. Not only did I have to show my bits to four men I would potentially be working for, but baby then decides to puke everywhere. Suffice to say, I didn't get the job. I've had to walk through countless shopping centres, supermarkets, town centres, parks, restaurants etc with Shyloh attached to me. Great fun.

Thankfully, pretty much everyone has been really open and supportive when it comes to breastfeeding in public places, and my friends are used to me being half naked in front of them by now. My best friend was slightly uncomfortable to begin with, when I'd have to feed Shyloh he would sheepishly avert eye contact, slowly head towards the door whilst saying, 'I think I'm going to go see what Thom is up to' (bless him). I've had another friend, who is a glamour photographer and therefore used to boobs of all shapes and sizes, sit pretty much on top of me whilst I was feeding, stare at my boobs, going 'that's amazing, doesn't that hurt, why is she pulling like that, how many holes does it come out of, does it squirt everywhere or trickle out, what colour is it, that's sooooooo amazing!!'. I guess some people would have been traumatised by the barrage of questions, but I was really pleased that he was interested and wanted to know more about it all.

Not to say that everyone is in agreement. My mother, of all people has been a pain, and frequently asks me when I'm going to stop as it's an 'inconvenience' (grrr!). Once, in the very early days, she proclaimed 'that's not how you do it', and proceeded to shove my boob into Shy's mouth. I have had to bite my tongue on several occasions, and in the end sent her an email with information on breastfeeding so that she could stop coming out with ludicrous comments such as, 'you're milk isn't good any more', 'there is no point doing it after six months', and my personal favourite, 'if you carry on it's just selfish'. I have felt like slapping her in the face with a breast pad before, but I remind myself that it was all very different in her day.

There is a lot of support out there for women who want to learn more about it, or are struggling to get to grips with it. I don't think I could have coped without the breastfeeding cafe and the friends I made there. There are also groups, such as Le Leche League, who were a massive help when my milk production went down. For anyone who is thinking of breastfeeding, I would advise it wholeheartedly - I'm not going to bang on about the benefits as I'd be here all day, but I would say don't give up, it's hard work, but so so so worth it in the long run. I love the bond I have with Shyloh, and I will always remember this time fondly. It's been eight months now and I'm 'still' breastfeeding. An no, I have no intention to stop just yet. Why should I? There is so much contradiction when it comes to the how long to breastfeed for, but I believe that it's down to the individual. As far as I'm concerned, Shyloh will stop when she's ready. Ok, I may have to consider reevaluating this if she's coming home from middle school and asking for a feed! And anyway, if I stop now, I'd have to start buying milk to put it Thom's tea! Ha, just kidding Thom! Or am I? :) 

Living in Britain, we like to make sure we take advantage of the 5 or so days of sunshine we get every year, and I’m sure you want your little one to join you outside soaking in the glorious weather. However, you have to be very careful as at early age, the sun can be very damaging to baby’s skin and overall health. It is advised that when he/she is still tiny it’s best to keep them out of the sun altogether, only once they get a little older should you let them join you out and about in the nice weather. Even so, it is best to keep their skin fully protected, and make sure they’re wearing a nice big sun hat to keep cool. Even with these measures in place, it is not recommended to take your little one out in the sun while it is at its hottest (11am-3pm). 

When purchasing sun cream there are a couple of things to remember; firstly, you should apply sun cream that is at very least factor 25, and also make sure that it has a broad spectrum with a 4 or 5 star rating. (That will make sure it covers UVA and UVB protection). When applying the sun cream try to use much more than you would on yourself, a big dollop usually does the trick, making sure to cover all areas of skin not covered by clothes or a hat. Try to apply at least 30min before contact with the sun, and remember to re-apply every few hours. 

When out and about try to keep your baby in the shade as much as you can, perhaps under a tree or take a large sun canopy with you to the beach. The best types of clothes for this time of year are lightweight closely woven fabric items such as cotton; these will allow your babies skin to breathe easier and help to keep them cool. 

Sunglasses are a must for your baby as they will help protect their growing sensitive eyes. There is no need to purchase expensive glasses, but ones that work well and are durable are most recommended. 

If using a pram/pushchair while you are out, remember to use the sun canopy to block out any intense rays, also try to get a sun parasol to attach to the pushchair, this will help to block out further sun rays that the canopy itself misses. Most pushchairs have parasols available as accessories, or you can buy universal ones that attach to most pram bodies.

Pushchair Parasols