Naptime Natter

The terrible twos – a phrase I won’t be using as a second time mum

The terrible twos – a phrase I won’t be using as a second time mum

At the end of October Alex turned two. My baby isn’t a baby anymore. I can remember when Leo turned two and in my head I had fully accepted that the following twelve months were going to be hard work. I completely fell for the whole terrible twos thing and, I’m not going to lie, Leo was a very difficult two year old. In fact, he continued to have tantrums when he was three and when he was four. He’s five now and, guess what, he’s still having tantrums. I don’t think he’s terrible though, he’s just a growing boy who is sensitive, highly emotional, a perfectionist and wants to be more independent than his years will allow. I’ve never looked at him and thought ‘you’re terrible’, I did subscribe to the idea of the terrible twos though and I wish I hadn’t. There were times I could have been a better parent, times when he was having a meltdown over something and I just swept his behaviour under the carpet as the terrible twos, not stopping to consider it could be something more. I know my boy so much better now and I know a lot of his ‘terrible behaviour’ when he was a toddler wasn’t him being terrible at all, he needed me to help him make sense of the world for him but instead I just added his meltdown to the long list of tantrums and accepted he was just acting that way because he was two. Looking back, those early years  with Leo did have their challenges and I feel like if the phrase ‘terrible twos’ hadn’t existed I could have been a better mum to him, I would have taken more time to think through why he was really having another tantrum instead of always just believing he was behaving in a certain way because of his age. View Post

Living with a mischievous todder {featuring outfits from the Disney Store baby collection}

Living with a mischievous todder {featuring outfits from the Disney Store baby collection}

*collaborative post*

Have you seen the original version of The Jungle Book? Of course you have, it’s an amazing film. Do you remember the song King Louie sings? The chorus goes ‘Oobe do, I wanna be like you. I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too‘ and so on. Well, I am pretty sure my toddler Alex is channelling his inner King Louie, but in reverse. Alex is already a man cub , so to speak, but he is desperate to show us all that he would love nothing more than to be a little cheeky monkey. My 16 month old is so mischievous and is always trying to get up to no good. View Post

Parenting a toddler, it’s not as bad as I remember

Parenting a toddler, it’s not as bad as I remember

Alex started walking just before Christmas, he was about 14months old and after months of cruising around the furniture and taking the odd tentative step or two, he finally got his confident strut on and now there is no stopping him. I had sort of been dreading the day that Alex found his feet, I find it hard enough chasing after one child and I was anxious I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the both of them. If I’m being totally honest, I had been dreading parenting a toddler again in general. Leo was an adorable baby and toddler and obviously I still love the bones off him now, but my firstborn really did embrace the whole ‘terrible twos’ phase and I really struggled to enjoy those toddler days at times. It would seem though that I have let all those difficult times cloud the truth of what being a toddler mama is really like. All the memories of biting, screaming on the floor of the supermarket, hitting, crying and total diva meltdowns had a cast a dark shadow over all the fun and joy that having a toddler brings to your life. View Post

Motherhood, am I doing it all wrong?

Motherhood, am I doing it all wrong?

Being a parent is the hardest job ever. Fact. It is a role we are thrown into with zero experience, straight into the deep end and expected to just get on with it. There are lots of books on parenting available but with so much conflicting advice and with every child being completely different, it can be so hard to know what to do for the best. As a mum I am always questioning what I do and if I am raising Leo to the best of my ability, most of the time I think I’m doing ok but things like mum guilt and other peoples opinions can cause serious blows to my confidence. Some days all I can think is that I am doing it all wrong, did I miss the memo on how to be the perfect mum? Some days I feel like everyone else is smoothly sailing through their parenting journey while I frantically try and keep my head above the water. View Post

How to party like a three year old

How to party like a three year old

Leo is now 3! How on earth has this happened? My beautiful boy is growing up so fast, the toddler years are flying by in a noisy and colourful blur of tantrums, fun and chaotic madness. I am almost too scared to blink as I fear when I open my eyes we will be stood at the school gates on Leo’s first day and the toddler days will officially be over. To celebrate Leo’s birthday we had a whopping 3 days full of fun. Saturday was party day, Sunday was treat day to Peppa Pig World (post coming soon) and Monday was Leo’s actual birthday and we played with all his new toys and ate too many biscuits and cakes. I feel as though I have learnt a lot from Leo’s extended birthday weekend, I have now seen what a true party animal really looks like. For those of you who want a simpler, cheaper and hell of a lot funnier way to party than and a night out on the tiles, you might just want to keep on reading… View Post

The day my toddler saved me

The day my toddler saved me

Ok, I understand that title sounds a bit dramatic so let me clarify a few things before we continue. This post is not about a near death experience nor is it about how having a baby saved me from a life I was unhappy with or anything like that. This post is about how, last week, Leo rescued me from the shower and saved me from having a full on panic attack/meltdown. Now that’s cleared up, let me tell you all about my little hero. View Post

3 reasons the 1 2 3 warning doesn’t work for me

Like most other children his age, Leo loves a tantrum. If we can get through the day and he only has two meltdowns then I consider that to be a very, very good day.

Sometimes Leo breaks down over silly little things like snapping a biscuit in half or a crayon not being the right colour. These tantrums I can cope with. I can’t cope with Leo’s deliberate bad behaviour though. Most of the time Leo is as good as gold and an absolute joy but, being 2, disobedience and naughtiness are kind or part of the territory. There have been so many occasions where Leo has gone to do something he is not allowed to do, I have said ‘no’ and he has done it anyway, while giving me a mischievous grin.
Parenting books, the ever knowledgeable Super Nanny and family and friends all offer advice on how to deal with bad behaviour and discipline (hate that word!) your toddler. Recently, Oli and I have been attempting the 1-2-3 approach. Giving Leo a simple 3 second warning to stop whatever he is doing/thinking of doing. The idea is, you start counting, child takes it as a warning and stops. Yeaa, that doesn’t happen with Leo. Ever.
There are 3 reasons why the 1 2 3 warning doesn’t work for me..
1. It becomes a counting game – I say ‘1’ and Leo responds ‘Is it 10?’ or ‘2 mummy!’. It kind of takes the seriousness away from the warning if Leo decides to make it a game.

2. It becomes a countdown to naughtiness – I start counting and Leo shouts ‘1,2,3,4,5!’ as fast as he can and then throws his plate on the floor or continues to try and hit the cat.

3. I don’t know what happens after 3 – The main problem with this method, it’s fatal flaw if you will, is I don’t know what I am supposed to do when I get to 3. The few times I have managed to make it to 3 without any of the above happening, Leo and I are left staring blankly at each other. If he stops then is that it? Have I succeeded and nothing happens after 3? What if he carries on being naughty and I have finished counting, what happens then? 
This method is not as simple as it sounds. It most certainly isn’t as easy as 1-2-3!
Do you use the 1 2 3 warning with your kids? Does it work for you? If you have any advice for me on how to deal with a naughty toddler please share in the comments, I will be forever grateful.
This post is linked to..

A Cornish Mum
My Random Musings

Cuddle Fairy

Mummuddlingthrough

Do’s and Don’ts of soft play

Do’s and Don’ts of soft play

As a mum of a very energetic two year old, I spend a lot of my time at the local soft play centre. It is a good way to tire Leo out and a good excuse for us to get out of the house. Leo and I have been making regular trips to soft play since he was about six months old, sometimes we have loads of fun and other times, well, it can end in tears.

I have learnt through our several visits to soft play, that there are things you can do to ensure you and your toddler have a good time, and  the possibility of one of you sobbing at the top of the slide can be significantly reduced. View Post

8 reasons why silence is never golden when you have a toddler

I love a bit of peace and quiet. I know that makes me sound about 80 but I really do enjoy just relaxing with a nice coffee and enjoying the sweet sounds of nothing. My days are full of Peppa Pig snorting at me from the TV, Leo roaring like a dinosaur, shrieking as loud as he can and generally just being a noisy monster. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want it any other way but sometimes I just need 5 minutes of quiet, a little time out away from the chaos to just relax and breathe.We all need that, right?
However, whenever I find that little window of time in the day that I can have all to myself, usually while I am doing jobs in the kitchen, I can never fully enjoy the quiet. You see, during the day, silence in my house is seldom a good thing. If Leo is being quiet then Leo is also, more often than not, being naughty. 
Before you read on, I want you to know that I’m not a bad mum. I spend pretty much my whole entire day with Leo, playing trains or being climbed on, you know, the usual stuff us parents have to do. But,  unless you have eyes in the back of your head (which you don’t), don’t need to eat or never have to empty your bladder ever, then you can not watch your little one every single second of the day. So, whenever I am out of the room and Leo is not making a sound, I know I need to get back in there pretty quick as it is very unlikely he is sat playing quietly with his toys.
I have compiled a list of reasons why silence is never golden in my house (expect when Leo’s asleep that is!), do any sound familiar?

Silence means…Leo has pulled all the DVDs out of the cupboard and taken all the disks out of their boxes. He often launches a few disks across the living room as he goes.
Silence means…The toilet has been filled with toys, paper and anything else Leo can find. It is never anything flushable..

Silence means…Leo is pulling all my clean clothes out of the washing machine onto the floor.

Silence means…Leo has found a glass of water and has put the TV remote, receipts and a half eaten piece of toast in it.

Silence means…Leo has taken his nappy off and is studying the puddle that has appeared on the carpet.

Silence means…The box of chocolates Oli and I stupidly left out on the coffee table the night before have been found by Leo and subsequently eaten for his breakfast.

Silence means...Leo has found a pen and is scribbling over anything he can find. Usually the shopping list I have spent ages writing.
Silence means…It’s evening time, Oli and I are too exhausted to do anything but stare at our phones. Any kind of verbal communication by this point in the day requires far too much effort and we are just too exhausted.
You might not think it when you are sat cuddling your new born, taking them to the bathroom with you and trying to do everything one handed, but one day you will leave your child unattended and just be prepared for the consequences when you do. Baby proofing means more than just stair gates, plug covers and corner protectors, apparently…
Does someone want to come and help me sort all the DVDs out and shampoo the carpet, pretty please?
Is silence ever golden in your house? Or have you got a little monkey like Leo, who only keeps the volume down when he is causing mischief?
My Kid Doesn't Poop Rainbows
My Random Musings
Mummuddlingthrough
A Cornish Mum

2 years 4 months – Leo update

How am I writing another Leo update, no way has it been a month since I wrote the last one? Time really does fly by when you are busy being a mum. This past month has been a good one, slowly but surely we are getting used to our new life in Hampshire and Leo continues to develop and amaze me every single day.

This month Leo loves…

* Talking – He may have been talking for months now but this past month Leo’s speech has come on leaps and bounds. He is constantly chatting away, even when he is sat watching TV or playing with his toys, he just loves to narrate everything he is doing. We can actually have a proper conversation now, almost. Leo can talk at length about Thomas the Tank and loves to know what everything is, ‘what’s thaaat?’. 
* Weetabix – I don’t mean your average Weetabix, the ones that actually make for a healthy breakfast. I mean the new bitesize ones, full of chocolate chips or very artificial tasting banana. Leo asks for these at every single meal, most days he only has them for breakfast and others, when I can’t cope with yet another tantrum, he has them for his lunch and sometimes his tea..don’t judge! I am going to have to start weaning him off them I think.

* Building – Finally, after having them for nearly a year, Leo has started to play with his building blocks. He actually asks for me to get them out the bag so he can build caves, tunnels and robots for his Thomas trains to play with. Of course, I end up doing a lot of the building but he is slowly figuring out how to put the bricks together and build things for himself.

* Dancing – We have had so much fun dancing around the house recently. Leo loves holding hands with me and his Daddy and spinning around in circles, stomping our feet and just having a good old bop. Quite often I will look at him and he will be running around saying ‘I dancing, I dancing Mummy’. He is so cute.

This month Leo hates…

* Being told what to do – The same as last month really! And probably every single month from now until he is in his twenties or something…

* Shoes – By shoes, I mean any footwear that is not his minion wellies. I don’t mind him wearing his welly boots now as it is winter and it is wet underfoot but sometimes they just do no go with his outfit. All hell breaks loose if I try and put on his trainers or Converse so I have given up. I don’t know how he is going to feel when he grows out of his beloved welly boots though, not looking forward to that day.

* Napping – The afternoon nap is coming to an end, I can feel it slipping through my fingers and I am desperately clinging on to it. I am not ready to give up that one sacred hour a day I have all to myself, not yet anyway. Leo has gone back to only sleeping in the car or in the pram. napping in the cot was a brief, beautiful phase that is over now. Hopefully I can keep encouraging Leo he needs this day time sleep for a little longer yet.

Leo’s firsts from this month …

* Started sleeping in a big boy bed

* Met his baby cousin Max

* Saw a real life reindeer

* Stayed at Nans and Granddad’s new house for the first time

* Had his first trip to beautiful Winchester

* First tried hot chocolate – ‘it’s yuck’ apparently!

Photo’s of Leo at 2 years 4 months…



Have you had a good month? Has your child started doing something new or reached any major milestones this month? I would love to know 🙂

Mummuddlingthrough

Where did my happy boy go?

I usually do all my blogging when Leo is asleep but I feel like I can not wait until sometime this afternoon to write this post. While Leo is at last happily playing with his toys, I need to take the next 5 minutes to vent and ask all you lovely mums and dads out there for some advice.

This morning I took Leo to a new baby group in a bid for us to have some fun and hopefully get to know some new people. I am still struggling to connect with anyone down here, I am missing my friends in Swansea and I really just wanted us to get out the house and try and make our faces a bit more known in our local community.

Leo had other ideas.

The group lasted about 45 minutes and for only about 5 minutes of it was he happy. He didn’t want to join in with any of the singing or dancing and had a massive tantrum when he wasn’t allowed to play with the bubble machine. Every other child in there was enjoying themselves, their mums gleefully clapping along with looks of pride on their faces. I, on the other hand, was a woman on the edge. Why is he so grumpy all the time? I try and take him to nice groups, soft play or do crafts with him and it always ends in tears. Half the time it starts with tears too.

When Leo was younger everyone used to say how lucky I was to have such a happy boy and I don’t think I appreciated that time enough. Now, every single day is a struggle, a mission to keep Leo happy and avoid his almighty tantrums. The things that used to make him laugh now rarely receive a half hearted smile. When we go out to groups he is more interested in trying to find an escape route and I am living in a dream world if I think he actually enjoys play dates.

I just don’t know what to do. He doesn’t act like this with other people so I feel like no one understands. Oli is at work all day and when he sees other family he is always good, like he saves all his bad behaviour just for me.

I try to tell him off if he’s been naughty and he just doesn’t listen and before I know it I am comforting him, I just hate him crying. Most of the time though his tantrums are so bad there really is nothing I can do. He doesn’t let me pick him up, he screams in to the floor and, most worryingly, tries to bite himself.

I just want my happy boy back, Obviously, there are good days but at the minute these are hard to come by, When we have one of those mythical ‘tantrum free days’, I feel like super mum and I just wish I could feel like that every day.

I don’t know what to do. Stay in the house every day with Thomas the Tank on repeat, maybe? Become a hermit with no friends and let Leo have free roam of the house to do as he pleases? I just want my boy to be happy, I feel like turning two has turned him into a completely different person.

Where did my happy boy go?

Anyone else really struggling with the terrible twos? If anyone could recommend some good blogs/books that offer great advice and coping strategies then please share in the comments. Have you got any advice, any magic tricks that help make a grumpy toddler smile?

7 things only mums can get away with

A couple of weeks ago I wrote 7 things only toddlers can get away with. A few of you got commenting and we seemed to all agree that our little darlings can get away with a hell of a lot more than us grown ups.

Well, this got me thinking and I have realised that as mums (and dads) we get away with lots of stuff that people would probably judge us for if we didn’t have kids. So don’t dismay my fellow parents, like your little cherubs, you can also get away with certain things that would have possibly be considered inappropriate before parenthood began (I will leave you decide if this is a good thing or not!).

7 things only mums can get away with…


1. Sleep in the day.
When you first have a baby the phrase ‘sleep when baby sleeps’ gets thrown around a lot. Leo was not a good sleeper at all so whenever he was napping so was I! I don’t really think sleeping for 4 hours in the day is how you should be spending your time if are not a parent, surely there are more important things you should be doing. This point does not apply to students, students seem to think napping is a degree requirement for some reason – I was not an exception.

2. Blame everything on baby brain.
Oh I have used this one a lot, Leo is nearly 2 and sometimes I still pull this old gem out the bag. We all know what it’s like, once you say hello to your baby you also say goodbye to all your functioning brain cells (well not all but a lot!). Crying at TV adverts, loosing your phone that is in your hand and putting baby’s clothes on inside out can all be blamed on the infamous baby brain.

3. Eat a ridiculous amout of cake.
Now I am not saying you can’t eat cake if you are not a parent, but what I am saying is once you have a baby you have a lot more opportunity to eat cake. For example..baby is born and someone bakes a congratulations cake, you take baby to play group and there is free cake, you need to eat an extra 500calories a day because you’re breastfeeding so you eat cake, baby is sleeping and you’re bored so you bake a cake. The list goes on!

4. Be late for things.
Friends and family warned you it would happen but you didn’t believe them, once you become a parent it will take you forever to get out the house. In the early days getting out and about is particularly challenging. You will feed your baby, dress them, change their bum and just as you’re half way out the door they will cry for more food and then proceed to be sick before doing yet another poo. The battle doesn’t stop when you have a toddler, you have to wrestlle shoes and a coat on them and try and strap them into a car they really don’t want to be in. Don’t worry though, when you do finally arrive no one will be mad because you are never expected to be on time when you have a child in tow.

5. Have a messy house.
There are just not enough hours in the day to get all the housework done and entertain a small child. I would feel a bit on edge if I went to someone’s house and it was immaculate and sat playing in the corner was a happy little toddler. Don’t get me wrong, my house isn’t dirty but it is definitely a mess. Throughout the day there are toys all over the floor, random beakers about the place and a washing machine full of clothes. Come bedtime the place is transformed to a place that almost resembles a toddler free home, if you ignore the big pile of toys in the corner that is.

6. Live in your pyjamas.
So it’s 3 in the afternoon, your child has worn enough different outfiits today to put Lodon fashion week to shame and yet here you are still in your pyjamas. When Leo was small I wore pjs pretty much constantly for the first coupple weeks, I am not even exaggerating..I have photos that prove it. I didn’t even care if people came to visit, I had been up all night they  were lucky if I bothered brushing my hair let  alone get changed out of my beloved pjs.

7. Get your boob out in public
This one is pretty self explanatory….

Like I said before, I will let you decide if these are perks of parenthood or not. But just remember..next time your child is throwing a tantrum in the shop and you really wish it was acceptable for you to do the same, atleast you get to go home to your messy house, sit in your pjs and eat cake and no one is allowed to judge you..and on top of all that you get to have lovely baby cuddles aswell…everyone wins!

Got anything you want to add to this list? I would love to know your thoughts.

7 things only toddlers can get away with

All parents will agree, there is no creature more adorable on this earth than your own child.
However, it’s not all sleepy cuddles and gorgeous smiles, toddlers can be pretty gross as well..not to mention incredibly badly behaved.
Toddlers are capable of getting away with all sorts, however do these as an adult and I expect you will get a few funny looks!
7 things only toddlers can get away with….

1. Wiping snot on you – as a parent you automatically become a human hankerchief. You just got to love those slimey snot snails on your jeans. God help me if Leo develops hayfever this summer.
2. Force feeding you half eaten food – I’m all for sharing but I really don’t fancy eating your half chewed toast, thank you very much.
3. Throwing a tantrum in public – Oh sure, we have all felt like screaming the supermarket down for one reason or another but as an adult we are not permitted that luxury. However, as a toddler you are more than within your rights to scream in the trolley or jump up and down in a rage over..well..nothing!
4. Play with their own poo – if you saw an adult do this you would probably run in the other direction. Toddlers, however, attempt to make regular contact with their own faeces. Leo’s hands have to be kept occupied during changes otherwise they are straight down there searching for poo..so gross!
5. Farting on you – not as disgusting as number 4 but still pretty gross. If my husband did this I would not speak to him for a week!
6. Poking/prodding strangers – Leo loves everyone and he is not a shy boy. If we are stood by someone in touching distance then they should expect a friendly, but possibly unwelcome, prod from Leo. Unlike Leo, I doubt I would be greeted with smiles if I went around man handling strangers.
7. Smearing food over their face – yes it makes for a funny photo but the clean up operation that follows is not so fun. When I am done eating I just put my cutlery down, Leo rubs the last of his food all over his face, hair, ears..everywhere!
What gross/naughty things does your child do?
They may be hard work and icky at times but we love them all the same.
Mums' Days

Making the most of fun in the sun

Making the most of fun in the sun

Summer seems to have come early this year and Leo and I are taking full advantage. Finding ways to keep your toddler entertained in the house all day can be challenging but stress no more my friends.. the sun has arrived to help relieve the pressure, hooray! Gone are mornings full of Cbeebies and gone are afternoons full of reading the same book over and over. Instead days are now being filled with outdoor fun and adventures and wonderful memories are being made.

However, unfortunately for us we live in Wales, famed for it’s cold and rainy climate. Everyday the sun is out me and Leo are also out. I’m not wasting a second of this weather as we know too well that when it rains it pours and the weather can change in a heartbeat in Wales! View Post

How singing and signing helped my todder learn to talk

How singing and signing helped my todder learn to talk

Leo has just turned 20months (how?!!) and we have arrived at the ‘ sponge brain ‘ stage. You know what I mean, your toddler is starting to say more and more words and is copying things you say. I may have been a bit late in recognising that this stage had actually arrived though.

Following a minor accident in the kitchen and an annoyed outburst from myself, Leo said his first ‘naughty word’ the other day. It’s safe to say I was completely mortified and will be watching what I say very carefully from now on!

View Post

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