Filed under: Parenting
My little girl wouldn’t go anyware without her plush Makka Pakka. I was dropping her off to school the other day when one of the teachers told me something funny. It was about her sister who, apparently, still keeps her childhood teddy bear in her bedroom. Arm… in their family bedroom. Her husband has tried to convince her get rid of the teddy bear, clearly not having a bath for the last 35 years, but no, she wouldn’t do it. This made me thinking – her teddy bear has become an absolute fetish of her childhood…
They are strange beings, the teddy bears. Yes, they are so much soaked in our lives that somehow become like a human being. A teddy bear helps a child grow up. It’s like a crutch, supporting kids in small but steady steps build their confidence and understanding of the world.
A teddy bear is like a mirror; a mirror of life, projecting the adult way of behaving onto their ‘plush’ being – sometimes taking the strikes of a child’s anger, other times – their implicit love and kindness. And so often a teddy bear would count to ten or write letters for the first time with the kids, sitting on their laps. A teddy bear would eat the greens when children are fussy, would be sleeping next to them, becoming a comforter… and be an example of the way a child should play, act and socialise with others. – An almost breathing teddy bear, marking its lively and iridescent presence in a child’s dream. And in their whole life.
It’s even funnier how, suddenly, from being a rope which helps a child to climb the mountain and give him the learning how to fall down and get up again, this same teddy bear becomes a thread, a fibre, linking the grown-up kid with our childhood, reminding us of our youth, joy and play, and the feeling of being child once.
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May 16, 2011
I read something recently, which I quite liked. It was something along the lines that “we pass through our lives, holding hands”. It made me think about friendship. All the friendships I’ve got – old, new, strong, childhood, temp, emotional, eternal… I’ve started my live from scratch so many times so far: I changed cities, moved to new counties, lost friends, made new ones.
But wherever I go, whatever I do, I always need my friendships – I need to invisibly “hold hands” with someone: a person close to me, someone I’d love to spend time with, rely on, share my joy, sadness, or even silence. During our life we create miles if invisible ropes of holding hands – hands of friendship, meaningful relationships.
We are looking to move into a new London area soon. We so much look forward to having our new family house, starting a new life, and even more friendships… again.
My daughter would have to change her nursery as well, and believe it or not, at the age of three, she already have her best friends, her new friends, her favourite little people to play with. She’s already started “holding hands” and we’ll keep doing it till the rest of her life.
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February 6, 2011
“On the little prince’s planet the flowers had always been very simple. They had only one ring of petals; they took up no room at all; they were a trouble to nobody. One morning they would appear in the grass, and by night they would have faded peacefully away. But one day, from a seed blown from no one knew where, a new flower had come up; and the little prince had watched very closely over this small sprout which was not like any other small sprouts on his planet. It might, you see, have been a new kind of baobab.”
My favourite book as a young girl was The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and it is still one of my favourites. This is a book that can be read by both children and adults. Beautiful language, strong messages – a simply magnificent book, which has stamped my childhood and, I am sure, was one of the million reasons to help me be what I am today. It has an appeal of love that is true and touching, and it is a book that has stood the test of time.
I heard that there is a Museum of The Little Prince in Hakone, Japan, featuring outdoor squares and sculptures like the B 612 Asteroid, the Lamplighter Square, and a sculpture of the little prince. Would that be like a museum of my childhood? A beautiful sculpture of my believes, my innocence, my hopes, my dreams? I’d like to go there. To go back in my past – to touch it, hug it, gently place my head over it and close my tired eyes. Sleep…
Translating the book into my parenting approach, what have I learned? Remember, the little prince asks questions children would be likely to pose themselves, in similar situations. Conversely, many of the answers he receives come from very “grown-up” grown-ups. The characters’ responses to the little prince reflect real-world scenarios. “Do as I say because I’m the king” – how often have I said that to my little girl?
I close my eyes and sleep. Sleep and dream of my childhood, of the story of that “little prince” who changed me forever.
Which are your books from childhood who have touched you most and changed you in a way?
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November 20, 2010
I think that skibz are a fantastic idea and they work really well. Designed by British mum Helen Bristol, the Skibz is a great-looking bandana-style dribble bib that works like a bib and looks like a scarf. We kindly received the Dizzy Flowers one for my 2-year old daughter to try and I have to say that she loved it! It’s funky, great-looking (for her is far more accessory rather than a bib) and it’s also great quality. Being 100% cotton I have no worries if the fabric could cause her gentle skin around the neck irritation – it’s so soft and natural!
I love the patterns you can get skibz in – they are a welcome change from bibs which cover my little daughters’s outfits. I would say Skibz are just perfect for those times when your little one needs to wear a bib when out and about! There are so many styles and colours to choose from that it’s easy to find the ones to suit any outfit.
The other plus is that Skibz fit snugly around my daughter’s neck. They are also highly absorbent if you have a little baby that dribbles a lot while teething. The unique double-layered backing system literally draws moisture away from the skin, eliminating soreness and chaffing under the skin.
But for my daughter it’s true that the bright-coloured Funky Flower Zkibz is more of a fashion statement then a serious piece of clothing protection. So I would definitely recommend these to anyone – even if their child doesn’t dribble that much. Since we have the Skibz, my daughter always gets compliments and people ask me where to buy it from. If you are wondering too, you can buy it online at http://skibz.co.uk.
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November 14, 2010
According to the UK Department of Transport, 60 to 80% of all car seats are used incorrectly, with harness tension being the single biggest failing. Getting the correct harness tension is even more difficult in winter as it is hard to tell whether you have a good harness fit if a child is wearing a thick coat.
Parents are being advised to double check the tension of car seat harnesses, particularly when their babies and toddlers wear thick coats or snowsuits this winter. The advice comes from baby company Morrck, who says many UK parents don’t realise the effect that thick outdoor clothing can have on the fit of car seat harness straps or the potential consequences of straps being too loose.
“Parents may be very surprised at the amount of slack a coat or snow suit can cause. For a car seat harness to work properly, the straps need to be tightly strapped against the child’s chest. When a child wears a snowsuit or thick coat, the straps are usually adjusted to the thickness of the coat, not the chest. If the car was in an accident, the coat could compress, making the straps too loose and reducing the level of protection for the child,” explains Isobel Thompson, mum of three and founder of Morrck, creator of the Baby Hoodie.
So, what to do? Always test whether you have correct harness tension when using a coat or snowsuit, simply follow the steps below:
1/ Put the coat on the child.
2/ Strap the child into the car seat and tighten to ensure a snug fit.
3/ Remove the child from the car seat – without loosening the straps.
4/ Take the coat off the child.
5/ Strap the child back into the seat – but don’t adjust the straps.
6/ Do the Two finger test. If you can fit more than two fingers underneath the harness at the child’s 7/ shoulder bone, the harness tension needs to be tightened or avoid using the coat in the car seat.
For more information on the Two Finger Test and the Baby Hoodie, go to www.morrck.com and click on ‘car seat safety’. You can also see the crash test results on this page.
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October 5, 2010
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They are strange beings, the teddy bears. Yes, they are so much soaked in our lives that somehow become like a human being. A teddy bear helps a child grow up. It’s like a crutch, supporting kids in small but steady steps build their confidence and understanding of the world.
