threelilprincesses.com

Category: Raising Girls

  • 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?

  • 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.

  • Are our kids outsmarting us?

    Are our kids outsmarting us?

    I KNOW that you now know that I have a pretty clever li’l princess. And I don’t mean the part about her knowing how to whistle to attract my attention. Although, that is pretty darn clever.

    Princess Ella, at the tender age of 3.5 years, has taught me to sign. Surprisingly, we’re still talking to each other – and not just in Auslan.

    If you didn’t visit yesterday and have no idea what I’m talking about, let me recap. Ella’s child carer has taught her to do sign language, including: “how are you?’’ and “good, thank you’’; along with “mummy/daddy/brother/sister, I love you’’. Plus, there’s the little addition of me teaching her to sign “stinky breath’’. You never know when you might need that one.

    She’s also managed to learn the majority of the nursery rhyme The Owl and the Pussy Cat, which is no mean feat considering I can barely get past the first two lines in the spoken form.

    It leads me to the things I know this week:

    • If you want to learn a bit of Auslan, my daughter is the person to teach you.
    • Our kids are beginning to outsmart us in so many areas and that scares me.
    • Every time I turn the video on, loud and boisterous Ella suddenly turns shy.


    I’m linking up with Shae from Yay For Home as part of Things I Know. Click on the button to read some other great things you should know.

  • Give me a little sign girl (minus Peter Andre)

    Give me a little sign girl (minus Peter Andre)

    IF YOU think teaching a three-year-old can be frustrating, just wait ‘til that three-year-old tries to teach you sign language. Some of you would have already seen the video of Ella teaching me Auslan. And I’ve mentioned her patronising response of: “Good girl, Mum. That’s really wonderful. You’re doing a great job’’.

    Her latest lesson came while she was sitting on the toilet doing her business one night. Out of the blue, she came out with “Daddy, I love you’’ and “Mummy, I love you’’. If she hadn’t been sitting on the dunny, that moment might well have melted hearts.

    Rather enthusiastic with my newfound signs, we jumped on the laptop the next day to learn more via the Auslan signbank. Ella pointed at a few words, saying “Mum, let’s do that one’’. Let’s just say every word she seemed to pick was far from kid-friendly. Try booze, boobs and a devise for smoking illegal drugs. However, there was one I just couldn’t resist teaching her. You’ll have to see the video to find out.


    Yes, I’m sure her child carer will thank me for that one. Tomorrow I’ll have a video of her signing and singing to The Owl and the Pussy Cat.

    Does your child know another language – even if it’s Dora’s Spanish?

    Linking up with Where’s My Glow’s FlogYoBlog Friday.
    FYBF

  • How to make a ballerina card for a *ahem* dad’s birthday

    How to make a ballerina card for a *ahem* dad’s birthday

    AS I sit here eating a piece of pink dragon chocolate cake, it seems timely to share what little gems The Bloke in The Shed received for his birthday. And what little gems they were. So, of course, first there was the pink dragon cake.

    Now what man doesn’t want one of those for his birthday? It was either this or a butterfly cake. Both suggested by this person…

     


    Then there was the utterly delightful pop-up card.

    Yes, complete with ballerina. The ballerina is apparently Ella. Although she’s more like an elephant than a ballerina when she dances.

    I know, you’re all just dying to learn how to make it. Right? Well, here’s the step by step instructions.
    1. We used an old birthday card addressed to me.
    2. We glued paper on the inside to hide the original message (which was lovely. So thanks to the person who gave it to me).
    3. Then we drew a picture of Ella in a leotard. Then stuck it inside the card.
    4. Next was to make the tutu out of coloured paper, by folding the paper like a fan. First fold 1cm, then turn and fold back onto itself. Rinse and repeat. Glue one end together, leaving the other end to glue into the card.
    5. Stick in the tutu and whar-la (hmm, not sure that’s how you spell that) – a beautiful pop-up ballerina birthday card. Complete with some letter stickers!

    Here are the steps in picture form for those who are “visual people”.


    What special homemade gems do you make for birthdays?