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‘A Simple Way To Teach Your Baby To Love The Water’, Little Dippers ‘Water Babies’ DVD brings water safety home.
Introducing your child to water can be a daunting experience for both parents and child, there are now a variety of swimming programmes designed for parents and babies to attend. ‘Little Dippers’ was founded by Lauren Heston and is now available in a range of locations throughout the UK.
Many parents find it difficult to attend sessions at the pool with their little ones for a number of reasons such as:
- day/ time unsuitable due to work/ family commitments
- no transport
- no lessons available locally
- high prices of sessions
- worry/ anxiety over introducing little ones to water
- worry/ anxiety over taking little one to pool alone
With many parents and children planning vacations this summer, it is worth considering building life saving, water based skills with your little one now before introducing them to water in an unfamiliar location. Almost one third of drowning incidents occur after victims slim or fall from land or structures (built over water). The majority of accidents in water occur at inland locations. A common reason for drowning incidents is the panic response. If little ones are able to learn to relax in water they are less likely to drown.
The Waterbabies DVD enables parents to watch lesson guides from the comfort of their own living room. Filmed by the award-winning ‘Waterbabies’ film team, ‘Waterbabies’ is a step by step guide on how to introduce your little one to water. Featuring Lauren Heston ‘Waterbabies’ uses a fortnightly lesson guide on how to develop your little ones confidence and skills in the water. Although this DVD is designed to last twenty one weeks, it will more than likely take much longer than this depending upon your child’s response and development during the training course.
The DVD begins with a rolling screen of safety information which is hard to take in due to the speed of the text roll, all the safety information is now clearly printed inside the DVD case. It is important to read and follow this information before beginning the Waterbabies course.
- Never leave your little one unsupervised by/ in water.
- Warm up before sessions by using revision and exercises from previous sessions.
- If your child is ill go back a few weeks to rebuild their strength and confidence.
- Ensure that your child is well enough to take part in sessions.
- Stop if your little one is ever displaying signs of stress or fatigue.
- Your child should never be submerged more than eight times.
- Never spend more than thirty minutes in the pool.
The Waterbabies ‘Little Dippers’ course builds ‘Self Rescue’ life saving skills such as
- Building confidence with the sensation of being in water.
- Back Floating
- Holding onto the side of the pool/ a bar
- Turning under water
- Swimming unaided
- How to deal with submergence
- Relaxing in water.
The Waterbabies Course uses ‘Word Association’ as the key stimulus and prompt for learning. Parents are encouraged to adopt a firm and positive voice, throughout the DVD parents are reminded to remain positive, responding to their little ones with reassurance, cuddles and praise.
Throughout the course your little one is aiming to build the four key ‘Self Rescue Skills’ which are:
- Landing in water
- Turning in water
- Coming to the surface and taking a breath
- Holding onto the side
Spending time in the water helps to build children’s lung capacity and increase the strength of their heart. Water based activities are therapeutic for little ones and can also help to improve coordination, confidence and self esteem.
The Waterbabies DVD encourages parents and little ones to have fun in the water together, spending time together in the water is an excellent way in which to bond. Many parents (both Mums and Dads) are featured on the DVD sharing their feelings and thoughts upon the Little Dippers course as they progress. Also featured on this DVD is an interview with Lauren Heston (the founder of Little Dippers), coverage of how the DVD was made and a photo gallery.
Waterbabies is a ‘shared adventure’ which with patience and a positive approach is fun for all involved. It’s never too early to introduce your little one to the water, this DVD offers parents a clear and concise programme which they can then use with their child to develop critical life saving skills.
Available for £18.99 from www.littledippersfilms.co.uk, the Waterbabies DVD teaches you how to turn your little one into a ‘waterbaby’! Alternatively this series is available to download from http://www.littledippersfilms.co.uk/order.php
Slap it on for the Sunshine! Protect your little ones skin from the sun without the fuss, mess or grease with Naturally Cool Kids ‘Sunshine Armour’ Sun Cream.
Naturally Cool Kids ‘Sunshine Armour’ Sun Cream range is free from chemicals and is naturally made from organic ingredients.Made in the UK, The Naturally Cool Kids lotions are designed to be less greasy than typical children’s sun cream which is often coloured and can stain clothes and tends to make skin feel greasy thus keeping ‘tight hold’ of little hands can be difficult on busy beaches and when out and about in the sunshine.
Mums Baby Magazine put the Naturally Cool Kids SPF 25 (150ml) to the test whilst out on a beautiful, sunny day at the beach with the kids. As instructed we applied the sun tan lotion thirty minutes before exposure to the sun, upon applying the cream we found that it felt quite ‘clarty’ and thick, the cream smoothed out evenly onto the skin and left no marks on any clothing and no smears or white areas upon the skin. The flip top bottle made it easier to open and close the lotion, whilst reducing the typical grit and sand that often get into bottle tops. The smell of the cream seemed quite different, the natural coconut scent was pleasant whilst not overpowering.
We ensured that we re-applied the lotion regularly and accessorised the children with essential protective accessories such as sun hats and sun glasses. Whilst Naturally Cool Kids ‘Sunshine Armour’ protects skin from the sun, it isn’t a complete sun block and it is advised that parents should keep their little ones shaded during the hottest times of the day (11am- 3pm). Naturally Cool Kids Factor 25 isn’t waterproof and therefore needs reapplying after your little one has been in the water and has been towel dried.
Our little tikes enjoyed many hours playing in the sunshine whilst wearing the Naturally Cool Kids SPF 25, their skin felt soft and moisturised during and after this session in the sun, hours later there was no sign of any tanning or burning and clothing was free from ‘sun tan lotion tide marking’. As the label says there was no mess and no fuss, just lots of fun!
When out and about in the sunshine remember the following:
- Spend time in the shade between the hours of 11am and 3pm
- Make sure that you do not burn.
- Try to cover up by wearing a tee-shirt, hat and sunglasses
- Remember to take extra care with little ones
- Ensure that you use a sunscreen (sun cream) with a factor of at least SPF 15 or higher.
- Sun tan lotion is NOT a sun block!
The Naturally Cool Kids ‘Sunshine Armour’ is suitable from ages 6 months upwards and is the ideal medium level sun protection for day to day skin protection. Natural Cool Kids Sunshine Armour is available from www.naturalcoolkids.com for £15.95, as well as a wide range of other naturally made, organic holiday items.
The Ideal Solution For The Big Move From A Cot To A Toddler Bed, The Twinkle Tog, A Wearable Bed Time Quilt!
Choosing the correct bed clothes for your little one can be difficult. With recent studies from the FSID upon SIDS which suggest that the ideal room temperature for sleep is between 16 and 20 degrees Celsius, it can often make selecting the correct bedding an arduous task. Do you choose a blanket? sheets? a gro-bag? Which one is the safest?
The answer all depends on a combination of the room temperature, the tog of the bedding and what your child is wearing beneath their bedding. The general guide is to have a thermometer in your child’s room and to try to keep the room as close to 18 degrees Celsius as possible, obviously this isn’t possible during hot summer months and freezing winter nights.
Safe sleep for infants and toddlers is highly important, Toddlers are renowned for climbing and the height of the drop from the rails of a cot/ cot bed in cot mode can be dangerously high. At the point when your toddler is trying to do a ‘Houdini’ from their cot, it is time to take the next step with your little ones by introducing a toddler/ single bed. From previously having the freedom to roll and move within a cot/ cot-bed in cot mode without the worry of falling, Toddlers now face the concept that they can indeed fall, thus a wide range of bed guards are readily available on the market to prevent this.
Suddenly the worry of bed clothes returns as we find that little ones who were happy sleeping within a traditional infant sleeping bag (gro-bag) can no longer use these due to the danger of them getting out of the bed and effectively having to complete the sack race in order to get around (this may sound funny but it’s unsafe). Many toddlers find themselves getting caught up in blankets and duvets and this can too can be dangerous and often uncomfortable as toddlers find themselves wriggling about to try and free themselves and eventually being exposed and cold.
The Dream Genii ‘Twinkle Tog’ is the ideal solution at this point. Dream Genii’s Twinkle Tog draws upon the original design of the infant sleeping bag except two separate legs have been added to enable your little one the freedom to move around safely, snuggly and in comfort. Not only is the Dream Genii Twinkle Tog the ultimate solution to moving up from the cot to a toddler bed but it is also ideal for travelling as little ones can be easily transferred from their car seat into their bed without having to disturb their sleep.
The Dream Genii Twinkle Tog is available in either one or two Tog rating and comes in a variety of sizes and designs. With a quilted exterior and soft jersey lining, the Dream Genii Twinkle Tog ensures little ones have a comfortable and snug nights sleep.
Mums Baby Magazine put this product to the test, we really like the design although found the zip a little awkward to do at first as it zips from the neck down to the groin area. Upon completing the zip there is a flap of fabric to cover the zip to protect little ones from scratches or from ‘unzipping their own bedclothes’. The fabric felt smooth and soft, the soft jersey ankles are elasticated and soft, enabling parents to add socks to their little ones feet if it’s a particularly cold night. The sizing seemed pretty accurate and our toddler seemed content in his new suit for sleeping.
The packaging of the Twinkle Tog gives clear instructions how to use this product safely including exactly what bed clothes your little one should be wearing when using the Twinkle Tog according to the specific room temperature.
As with all bedding you would require at least one spare whilst the other is being washed. This product can be easily washed at forty degrees on a normal cycle and dried either naturally of by using a tumble dryer on a low heat.
Available from www.dreamgenii.com for only £29.99, the Twinkle Tog Wearable Bed Time Quilt is the ideal solution for your toddlers ‘next step in sleep’.
Keep your little one snuggled safely and securely with the Lindam Safe & Secure Bed Guard.
Moving your toddler up from a cot to a single bed is a big step in terms of development, for children this tends to be an exciting time as they are offered some elements of freedom in terms of being able to get in and out of their bed at their own will. However, for parents this can often be a time of worry and anxiety over their child’s security and safety during sleep.
Sleep is the time when our brains process the day’s activities and our bodies secure rest. Sleep is the time when growth takes place and interrupted sleep can cause numerous developmental problems thus ‘sleep’ is a crucial part of the human daily cycle.
Little ones generally tend to move around a great deal in their sleep and the safety of cot rails ensures that they stay secure in their cot/ cot bed during an essential and important time of their day. However, when your child becomes too big for a cot or is endangering themselves trying to climb out from cots/ 
cot beds then it is time to move them to a single bed, thus moving about can potentially lead to ‘falls’.
Suitable from eighteen months to five years of age, the Lindam Safe & Secure Bed Guard offers security from falling out of the bed, The bed guard is padded and is soft the touch offering comfort and support if laid against by little ones yet is strong and sturdy to prevent children from rolling off the mattress.
The Lindam Bed Guard is easy to put together and fits securely upon single beds (by laying the mattress neatly into the rails of the bed guard which is adjustable). Suitable for all single bed types (slatted divan and ensemble) with mattress widths from 76 to 100cm and lengths from 141cm to 210cm, The Lindam bed guard is adjustable to ensure a neat and secure fit. However, if you are using a cot bed in ‘bed mode’ then this bed guard is a little too chunky and wide to use, thus it may be worth investigating other bed guards which are suitable for your specific cot bed.
Once the bed guard has been fitted it can then be folded down by pressing two buttons featured either side of the rail, so that your child is able to get in and out of the bed easily whilst awake. The simple folding mechanism also makes changing the bed and lifting children from the bed far easier for parents.
Once asleep the bed guard can be raised and clicks into position with the safe and secure locking mechanism to offer your child a ‘safe sleeping environment’. If children do wish to get out of the bed during the night then they able to by shuffling further down or up their mattress to exit from the bed. The Lindam bed guard does not run the entire length of the bed as this would simply be a hazard as little ones may try to climb over the guard and suffer injuries from falling, as they could well do with cot rails.
The Lindam Bed Guard is available in three colours (blue, pink or neutral) and costs only £19.99 from www.safetots.co.uk, a small price to pay for peace of mind and safe, secure, sleep. For other stockist details log on to www.lindam.com
Bringing your little ones up to your level safely: The Kitchen Helper
Little hands love to help whether it be with cleaning, sorting or cooking. It is often difficult to include your children in the everyday tasks due to the great height difference between adults and infants. For years infants have stood precariously upon kitchen chairs in order to be at ‘counter height’ risking falls and potential injuries.
The Guidecraft Kitchen Helper is a foldable, sturdy wooden step with surrounds to keep your child safely elevated to counter height. In simple terms the Kitchen Helper is a ‘wooden box on legs’ which your little one can stand in whilst joining in activities upon the kitchen counters.
Although there are two other products upon the market (The Fun Pod and the Learning Tower) which are similar to the kitchen helper, the Kitchen Helper is the only one of these three products which is able to fold and therefore takes up less space when stored.
On either side of the kitchen helper there is a whiteboard/ blackboard which your child can use at floor height, providing extra entertainment for little ones whilst Mum continues the chores in the kitchen.
The Kitchen Helper is lightweight (under 18lbs), foldable and height adjustable (adjusts to three differing heights) and can therefore grow with your child.
The Kitchen Helper allows children to take part in counter height activities safely and securely. By bringing your child to counter top height you can then involve them in day to day activities giving them an active role in the daily routine.
Available from www.littleplanettoys.co.uk for £103.99, the Kitchen Helper enables little ones to access a wider range of learning activities to help build confidence and independence.
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