threelilprincesses.com

Category: Life and laughter

  • PHOTO: Masterchefing with the basics

    PHOTO: Masterchefing with the basics

    IN A bid to help ward off winter bugs, I’ve been pulling out the big guns every second night. Yes, my weapons of choice during those nightly Masterchef moments are one of these:

    garlic
    Garlic

    and one of these:

    onion
    Onion

    Don’t mess with me colds and flus. You’ll only come off second best.

    Will these two be featuring in your meal tonight?

    Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys’ Wordless Wednesday. Click on the link to check out more photo posts.

    Next Wednesday is the relaunch of my Alphabet Photography Challenge, which will feature some of the blogosphere’s best photographers. If you’d like to be part of it, drop me a line.

  • How to brush your teeth (for kids)

    How to brush your teeth (for kids)

    brushing teeth, toddler, preschooler
    Princess Ella's pearly whites after brushing twice a day

    BRUSHING teeth used to set off tantrums in our house bigger than Russell Crowe after having his poem reading cut short. The memories of those moments came flooding back when parents of toddlers started discussing the minty fresh topic during the Colgate Bloggers Brunch in Sydney last month.

    However, something changed with Princess Ella. Maybe it was turning into a preschooler, maybe it was finding a way to make the whole experience fun or it could well be that she’s now in control of the situation. And what three-year-old doesn’t love control?

    With 38% of children aged 5-6 having some form of tooth decay, we all need to find an easier way to get toothbrushes onto pearly whites. So, as part of Oral Health Month this August I thought I’d share some of the tips made by bloggers and NSW Dental Hygienists’ Association of Australia president Melanie Hayes during the bloggers brunch, plus a few of my own.

    Tips for healthy teeth:

    • Use a small, soft brush and, for children over 18 months, a pea-sized amount of low fluoride toothpaste. (Rinse first. You never know where they’ve had it). Try and encourage them to spit the toothpaste out, not swallow it. This can become a game in itself (as you’ll see by the video).
    • Brush twice a day, with the final brush AFTER their night-time milk (if your child is still having a drink of milk at night).
    • Let them have a go at brushing their teeth first, then take over.
    • Face them away from you, looking into a mirror, and brush them as if you were brushing your own teeth. Clean the outer surfaces, the chewing surface and behind the front teeth.
    • If you have more than one child, let them all brush together. Better still, join them and have “family brushing time’’. Kids love to copy.
    • Brush your child’s teeth, while they brush your teeth (a tip by Zoey of Good Goog)
    • Sing The Toothbrush Song from PlaySchool to make the experience a little more entertaining (A little shy on the singing in this video).
    • Have a morning and night-time routine chart on the wall that shows when it’s time to brush. This makes them responsible for remembering when to brush. (Again, it’s the control thing).
    • You should help your child brush their teeth until they are eight years old (I know, good luck to us all).

    Now, for a video of Ella showing how we make brushing teeth fun. So this one’s for the little people in the house. Mums, set the kids up with the laptop for a few minutes and go finish the dishes (or that sneaky bit of chocolate hiding in the pantry).

    What are your tips for getting children to brush their teeth?

  • What’s the ideal age gap between children?

    What’s the ideal age gap between children?

    Girls aged 3 are more likely to cope emotionally with a new sibling.
    Girls aged 3 are more likely to cope emotionally with a new sibling.

    SO, WHAT is the ideal age gap between children? This was a question that came about last week when a reader emailed to admit she was a little low after struggling to conceive her second child. She was desperate for her children to be close in age, but that was starting to look less likely.

    She is now being bombarded with comments from friends and family about how kids need to be close together. Not exactly what you need to hear, right?

    I could relate. I chased The Bloke In The Shed around the bedroom for eight months. It’s the only time he’s faked a headache. However, our two girls ended up a month shy of being three years apart. For us, it turned out to be a blessing.

    Here’s why:

    • After giving birth to Baby Holly, my child health nurse informed me girls aged three are able to cope better emotionally with the change of a new person in the house. There are also less issues with jealousy and behavioural problems. For boys, it is even later – 3.3 years.
    • Princess Ella is able to get nappies and wipes, take herself to the toilet and dress herself.
    • Sleep deprivation is only caused by one child – not two.
    • Ella is capable of entertaining herself while Baby Holly is being fed or put to bed.
    • All children want to be affectionate with their baby sibling, but at a younger age struggle with the concept of being gentle. Mind you, there has been the odd time I’ve caught Ella sitting on Holly. She is not a horse, Ella.

    Of course, Ella still has her moments. She’s just a child after all. However, we’ve found life much easier than for some parents (not all) who have children closer together. But that’s just us.

    My lovely reader is quite keen to hear other parent’s thoughts on the issue. What do you think the ideal age gap is? What’s been your experience?

  • I’m grateful for tissues

    I’m grateful for tissues

    Starting school
    Ella is relieved to know they will have tissues at “big school''

    This week I’m grateful for:

    • Tissues. Since Princess Ella learnt she would be starting pre-kindy later this year, she’s been obsessed with asking if they’ll have tissues. Despite reassuring her that, yes, the school has tissues, she would reignite the conversation every couple of weeks. Finally, on Tuesday, we had our interview with the principal and she got to sit and chat with the teacher. After leaving her in the room with the teacher while we toured the school, we returned to find her with a tissue in her hand. The teacher responded with: “She said she was a bit snuffly and needed a tissue.’’
    • Publicity. My Working with PR post got picked up by PRNewswire this week. Sorry, just had to share.
    • A healthy future. We don’t often listen to the radio, but coming home from childcare the other night we caught the song Marry You by Bruno Mars. Ella piped up with: “I’m going to marry Jack (not his real name).’’ Surprised, at her choice in childcare friends, I asked her if they would be living together. “Yes,’’ she said, cheerfully. “And who will do the cooking?’’ I asked. “Me’’, she said. “And what will you cook?’’ “Soup and vegetables,’’ was her response. Well, at least they’ll be eating healthy.

    I’m joining with  Maxabella Loves to share what I’m grateful for.

  • SLEEP CHALLENGE: How to help baby sleep while teething

    SLEEP CHALLENGE: How to help baby sleep while teething

    MONTH NINE: I had such high hopes I wouldn’t need to write this month’s Sleep Challenge.  Unfortunately, my month has been plagued with teething and developmental leaps. Yes, just call me lucky, I guess.

    I envisaged sleep deprivation would be a thing of the past. After last month’s sleep through, I thought I was on the path to sleepy heaven. Alas, no. Here I am, bags under my eyes, and blinking like a camera shutter in a room full of babies.

    Baby Holly even teased me four nights in a row this week by sleeping from 7pm ‘til 7am and only having two shorts feeds. Then that was thrown out the window Wednesday night, when yet another toothy peg started to emerge.

    SOLUTION: Here’s what I know about coping with teething and sleep?

    • Give the recommended dose of Nurofen or other ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is more suited to teething as it deals with targeted pain, while Panadol deals with all over pain and fevers. However, some suggest alternating between the two during teething, which we’ve found to be effective.
    • Bonjela teething gel – or, as we like to call it, Bon Jovi minus the big hair. This only last 20 minutes and can’t be used again for three hours. However, it often helps Baby Holly resettle quickly.
    • A breastfeed or bottle feed. Sometimes I think this is more about the cuddle comfort than the feed itself.
    • A cold, clean finger rubbed on the gums. Yours, preferably.
    • A cold pacifier for them to suck on. I just run it under the tap for a few seconds.
    • Cuddles. I’ve been known to sit in my comfy feeding chair, bub in arms and just rock back and forth for an hour. Whatever gets you through, right?
    • Let them cry. Eventually, they will fall sleep. I only tend to use this method when I’m at my wits end. This is really a personal choice, as some parents just don’t like the thought of leaving a baby when they’re in pain.

    Read more from the Sleep Challenge.

    What do you know when it comes to coping with a teething baby at night?

    Disclaimer: This is based on my personal opinion and experience. I am not a medical professional, so please seek medical advice if you are at all concerned.

    I’m linking up with Daisy Roo and Two as part of Things I Know.

  • PHOTO: But Mum, I’m hungry

    PHOTO: But Mum, I’m hungry

    THAT’S Weetbix. Apparently, Ernie was hungry. He also spilled some of it on the floor, which made Mum’s cheeks go really red. Plus, he got it on his clothes and it stuck. Stuck like glue. I heard Princess Ella will be having toast for breakfast from now on.

    Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys’ Wordless Wednesday. Click on the link to check out more photo posts.

    Don’t forget to enter our giveaways, including a $150 voucher to spend on a Vanchi nappy bag.