House // A Sneak Peak into Bea's Room

Bea's room is now practically finished! 

We have to sort the carpets out but first, we need to re-level her floor as it's completely sunk in the middle. The joy of living in a super old house, but decor-wise it is finished and I don't think I could be any happier!

The wallpaper is up, or should I say wallpaper of dreams is up.

I saw this when I was pregnant and fell in love with it, but then we were still in our old house and Bea wasn't going to have a room, as there weren't any spare, so she was just going to take up a corner in our room as it was big enough so there really wasn't any need for wallpaper for her.

As soon as we decided we were going to move I knew I wanted to go and buy the wallpaper, as soon as we moved in it was one of our little big spends, as £50 per roll was rather pricey but definitely worth it.

We measure and remeasured the wall just to make sure we had the right measurements and ended up ordering 3 rolls.

Then fretting that we probably wouldn't have enough.

In the end, we still have a whole roll leftover, so I will try and find something to do with it, as it's too pretty to waste.

One of my favorite features of Bea's room is her fireplace, I always wanted a fireplace in my room when I was a little girl but we never lived in the right sort of house.

I'm hoping once she's old enough she'll love it as much as I do.

For Christmas, my cousin gave Bea her very first crystals.

An Agate elephant and a Selenite sphere.

Agate helps with protection, courage, strength, and grounding.

Selenite helps with cleansing, clearing, and moon magic.

I was very touched by these, I'm really into my crystals but haven't got round to buying Bea any. All the boys have their own and love adding to their collection just as much as I love collecting to mine. Hopefully, Bea will be the same.

Yesterday Jon put up the Habitat shelf that I bought just before Christmas, and it's perfect for her little selection of books and some of her Jellycat bashful bunnies.

The wood goes nicely with her cot and IKEA shelf drawers

In the corner by her door lives Diddums and baby Diddums.

Diddums is my mum's very old and very vintage kewpie doll that she has had since she was a young girl.

I played with her when I was young, all the boys have had a thing with her, my nieces all took a shining to her and now it is Bea's turn to enjoy her.

I know she's a bit odd looking but we love that about her, and whilst digging around in my favorite vintage shop a few weeks back I came across a tiny kewpie doll that I just had to have!

I have never seen another one other than eBay, so I knew she was meant to be ours.

When I was pregnant I couldn't help but buy some lovely handmade rainbows for Bea, as being our special rainbow baby she just needed to have them, this one hangs just beside her door.

Last but not least, Baby Bea's Bee.

I bought this for Bea when she was a few weeks old, and she instantly fell in love with him.

You really can't beat Jellycat softness.

Most of Bea's soft toys are from Jellycat as I just love them.

Now it's on to the next room, which I think may be ours as that only needs a few finishing touches.

Then most likely it'll be the twins' room but I need to find a feature wallpaper for their room, but I'm finding it difficult finding the right one that'll suit them and their tastes.

Review // GraviTrax Starter Set

 

Ru can easily get bored with his Xbox and will often hunt out toys or art supplies to help keep him more occupied when such an occasion arises.

So when I heard about GraviTrax I knew he would absolutely love it.

Ru always gets on well with STEM toys and they always keep him busy for hours on end.

GraviTrax is a STEM toy that encourages children to explore science, technology, engineering, and maths while having fun and developing their creativity and imagination.

The set comes with over 100 components and a booklet containing 10 different track ideas, ranging from easy to hard. 

Something for everyone to get their teeth stuck into.

Ru and I decided to go for a medium-level track to start off with and ended up choosing track E from the booklet.

It didn't take very long to set up once we had all our components ready.

Ru loved watching the ballbearings sliding down the track and loved seeing which one won.

He was really immersed in watching the ball rolling down the track.

Once he was done with track E he was eager to crack on with one of the harder tracks. He tried a couple more and then the twins decided to come down and have a play. It was lovely to see them all playing nicely together for a change.

The GraviTrax track system can be extended indefinitely with extra track packs and add-on’s – each sold separately.

GraviTrax promotes learning about kinetic energy, gravity, magnetism, and problem-solving.

It is aimed at kids 8 and older. Rupert is 8 in a few months, so it is ideal for him and would make an awesome birthday present. 

I can already see him asking for more tracks for his birthday.

You don't even need to follow the suggested tracks as you can make up your very own track by using your imagination and using all your problem-solving skills.

The boys all had a go at this and found that a lot of the time the balls would always end up falling off the track as they hadn't quite set it up right.

But rather than getting annoyed and giving up they just ended up taking it apart and rebuilding and trying again.

You can find GraviTrax from Ravensburger on sale in Argos, John Lewis, and Amazon price ranging from £32.

A definite winner of a Toy and I'm sure if Ru had got this for Christmas it would have been his best ever-present!

* Product was gifted but all thoughts are my own.

Review // Baby's 1st Christmas ideas with Jaques of London

It's going to be Bea's very first Christmas and we all cannot wait!

Having a baby in the house has up'd the festive magic and everyone is feeling it, probably everyone except Bea as she is pretty clueless to what time of the year it is.

The boys are even more excited than usual as they can't wait to see her face on Christmas morning.

In the early stages of pregnancy Jon and I decided that we would try to be more environmentally friendly when it came to baby items and toys we would try to invest in more wooden ones than plastic.

So for Christmas, we have asked everyone who asked to buy wooden toys rather than the plastic-type, as one they always tend to last longer and they look nicer and it's better for the planet.

Jaques of London have a beautiful range of wooden toys for one-year-olds and as Bea is nearly one I was very kindly sent some to review.

Bea is a very busy baby and is into everything, so when deciding which ones to go for it was tricky as there was such a great selection of wooden toys to pick from.

In the end, I decided to go with a shape sorter and a shape stack, the boys all had similar toys when they were her age and they were always a big hit, so I knew I was on to a winner.

I love the bright colours and how well the toys are made. the shape sorter has a range of different shapes, which are all labelled, so when the baby is bigger they can start learning the correct names for the shapes as part of their early learning. 

The shapes are lovely and smooth and perfect for tiny hands to grab hold off. 

Everything fits into the box and can be tidied away easily at the end of the day. 

Something that is always a big thing in my house, as I'm not a fan of having toys scattered around once the kids are asleep.

The shape stacker is in a beautiful rainbow flower design, perfect for my little rainbow baby and perfect for having out on display when the toy is not in use, another advantage of wooden toys is they also look nice popped on a shelf in a nursery or playroom when they're not in use.

Bea took straight away to the shape stacker and instantly started taking the flowers off the pole and trying to put them back on, her hand-eye coordination isn't quite there yet but I don't think she's far off.

Both toys are perfect for helping children develop their problem-solving skills and fine motor skills, skills that are essential in growing children.

I think they're both great educational toys all around and I know Bea will get plenty of fun from both for a long time to come.

They both make perfect Christmas presents or even first birthday presents.

 They came beautifully packaged and all ready to be placed under the Christmas tree for the big day.

Jaques of London have a great range of wooden toys for all ages on their website, so if these two gifts don't take your fancy I'm sure you'll be able to find some that do.

**I was gifted these items for free in return for an honest review, 

all thoughts are my own

Should I Consider a Holiday Camp for My Child?

 

Holiday camps are a great way of letting your child develop individual skills that will enhance their development as they grow. It’s an exciting opportunity for children to take part in that will bring lasting memories and a world of adventure to a child. 

You may be wondering, should you look into holiday camps for your child? 

Well, this guide from a childcare centre in London should help you sway your decision.

Developing your child’s skills

If your child is keen on adventure, looking for things to do that will excite them, then a holiday camp is a no brainer. There are different versions of holiday camps across the country, but children are usually taken on an experience or trip for a day and returned by the end of the working day. 

Depending on where a child’s taken, a lot of unique skills and interests can be developed as a result, such as critical thinking and decision making skills. If you want your child to develop in new ways, maybe consider a holiday camp.

Is your child comfortable around others?

Something to consider is how they’ll handle being alone for long periods of time. Maybe your child is really invested in day trips out, or they prefer keeping to themselves and avoiding conversation. 

There’s no right or wrong way of nurturing your child’s social skills, but you should be prepared for what may happen. Your child may also come out of their shell, if they’re shyer, thanks to going on a holiday camp during the summer.

Take them on a test run to see how they do

If all else fails, you can look to pick your child up after a few hours of being with other children if they’re feeling overwhelmed. 

They can learn to slowly build their confidence and social skills through going to holiday camps and it can make them feel involved with the other kids.

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Understanding Your Child's Curriculum

A child’s curriculum will be essential to their understanding of complex subjects and to allow them to progress nicely through their school career. For parents, however, it’s key to learn about your child’s studies and what they’ll be doing throughout their time at school. It’ll also help you find ways you can help your child with their homework and future revision for exams.

 

In this guide from a prep school in Middlesex, we take a look at the ways you can build your understanding of your child’s curriculum to help them through school.

A basic understanding of the UK curriculum

What’s helpful is learning how the UK curriculum is laid out for students. Firstly, the curriculum is laid out in key stages, from key stage 1 right through to key stage 5, which will dictate what your child learns as they develop.

 

In their earlier stages, key stages 1 - 3, there’s a stronger emphasis on understanding numeracy, literacy and science-based skills. 

They’re learning how to develop transferable skills that can be used in future studies. When they reach key stage 3, they’ll be taking on more specific subjects like History and English Language to develop their skills further, as well as exploring what subjects your child likes.

 

Key stage 4 is when children will begin studying for their GCSE exams, and key stage 5 is when they enter A-Level studies. 

These two periods will allow children to focus their efforts on the subjects they want to study, alongside compulsory subjects.

How to understand a child’s curriculum

The best place to learn more is by visiting the school’s website. There will be clear direction as to what’s studied throughout their years at the school and also details on if you’d like to talk to teachers about the curriculum in more detail. 

Parents evenings are also a great time to further understand a child’s studies and what they’ve been getting on within class, as well as continually following your child’s work at home and being involved in their progress.

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How to Raise a Respectful Child

Respect is a core value and skill that children should be able to follow and understand as they grow and become more aware of the world around them. 

Not only are respectful children more trustworthy and understanding, but you can strengthen the bond between you and your child. This guide from a private school in Kent will show you how you can raise a respectful child and build an established relationship.

Explain what respect is in layman’s terms

Half the battle is showing your child what respect actually is without using too many complicated words. Use easy terms that your child knows the meaning of and guide them through practical examples.

 The main themes of respect are admiring others, knowing when to honour someone’s opinion, being kind towards everyone you come into contact with and clearly listening to others.

Identify times when your child is being disrespectful

There are times when your child will be rude and unkind, whether it’s purposeful or not. This is when you should step in and tell your child how they should be behaving, and question why they were rude to someone else. 

Anger at a young age is harder to curb than when you’re an adult, so try to not get visibly angry at your child’s behaviour. Instead, look for ways to show them that that’s not how they should act in front of others.

Praise them for being respectful

If you’re seeing signs that your child’s doing well in a situation, give them praise for what they’ve done. They’re more likely to remember those moments when they’re older and work towards doing good when they’re with friends, family and even those they don’t know. 

Any time you see your child do something good you should aim to give praise, even if it doesn’t amount to much. It’s good to see your child feel motivated to do well and make a good effort where they feel they can add value.

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Exploring Moral Values with Your Child

 

Moral values are key beliefs that all of us as human beings should follow and instil throughout their lives. They define what’s right and wrong and separate the good and bad, which children should be made aware of as they grow up. 

As parents we should be guiding our children through these core values that will shape and define your child into educated and mindful adults. 

 

In this guide we take a look at how you can explore moral values with your child at this private school in London.

• Be their role model

A lot of times, children will be following their parents and seeing what they do to better themselves. Even in the slightest of actions children will be keen to follow their parents in what they do or what they suggest. 

This is where you should be acting positive actions in front of your child and let them follow your guide. If they see how you treat others, offer respect and express gratitude in front of others, they’re more likely to follow your lead.

• Practice through role playing

You can quiz your child gently by having them look at different situations and see what they’ll do when you pose them questions. Ask them what they would do if they saw a friend in distress, or if they saw a child dropped their favourite toy and didn’t notice. 

Depending on how old your child is, you’ll be able to instil positive values in your child from an early age.

• Play problem solving games

Board games are a great way of getting kids to solve problems and understand that they won’t always win! Show them that while making mistakes or “losing” doesn’t mean that they can’t handle problems in the future. 

The more problem solving games your child plays, the better they can handle whatever’s thrown at them.

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