Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. Something which none of us want to think about is what would happen if we died before our children are able to care for themselves?

But, what if we do…?

This is never the most popular of conversation topics that I bring up with my friends (!) but it is always something that, after the initial reluctance to talk about it, gets people thinking. One of the things my friends often say is “But why do we need a will? We haven’t got anything to leave!”. My response is always the same, that their children are the most precious things they have and so they absolutely do have something to leave! The issue is however that once we have spoken about it nothing happens! I get that it is a really difficult thing to have to think about, but it really is SO important.

Swaddling your baby

By Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. Swaddling is often mentioned in the world of newborns and it can be hugely beneficial for some babies when they are first born.

Why should I swaddle my baby?

Swaddling is commonly used with the newborns for the first 3-4 months to help them with the transition from the womb, where they are lovely and cosy, to the big wide world which can make them feel quite vulnerable. The act of swaddling is thousands of years old and it is practiced with newborns becuase it helps to make them feel secure and contained, and helps to prevent them from waking up due to the startle (or Moro) reflex which is when their arms just fly up!

How do I get my child to do the basic day to day things…like get dressed?

Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. This is a very common issue that parents face and it can be hugely frustrating and challenging when all you want to do is for your child to get dressed, put their shoes on, brush their teeth and tidy up their toys etc. One of the first things to think about is that when our children are babies, we do everything for them and they have very little input or choice in what happens when. Once our children start to find their voice and have the ability to do things independently, then they want to practice this as much as possible, it is a newfound freedom! This can however be exhausting for us as they are taking a great deal of time to do the simplest of things (which you know you can do in 2 mins!) because they are finding it tricky or just want to keep doing it over and over.

Cleaning my teeth!

Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. Helping children to make brushing their teeth into a twice daily habit is something which will ensure that they have healthy teeth (and hopefully no fillings!) for their whole lives. It is not always the easiest thing to get children to do, there can be resistance and I have seen some parents running around the house with a toothbrush in their hand chasing their child to try and get their teeth clean! In this blog I will give you some practical and helpful hints on how to have a quick and effective teeth cleaning routine.

‘Chores’ and pocket money…

Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. There is no right or wrong age to start getting children to help out with chores, it is more about what tasks are age appropriate for you to ask them to do. Firstly, I would try to avoid the word ‘chores’ as this can be seen, and felt, as being quite negative and not something your children are likely to approach with a positive attitude. In addition, chores could be seen as things that have to be done in order to get a reward, but many ‘chores’ or tasks are expected and required actions of our children as they develop into responsible adults.

Why does my child bite?

Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. This is something that I get asked time and time again! Some children will go through a stage of biting, in the same way that other children go through stages of hitting or throwing. The act of biting is something that can often be really upsetting for parents, both of the child who is biting others and also for parents of the child who might get bitten.

We just wanted to take a moment to look at all of the things we are hearing from families about their experiences through the Coronavirus outbreak and what these changes might mean for us and, more importantly, our children, as we come out of it and into our ‘new normal’ - will this experience change our children forever?

My parents help me with the childcare for my two children. I am very grateful for their help, but I find that they don’t do things as I would like and I don't know how to approach it with them.

Reply from Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. This is a very common situation for many people who have family members providing childcare for them. When we have to raise any issues with those who care for our children it can be tricky, but when it is a family member this adds an additional layer of difficulty. It is understandable that you do not want to upset your parents ultimately you want to maintain a close and special relationship. However, if you don’t raise the issues that you have, this will lead to you becoming more frustrated and only end up causing a more awkward and difficult situation between you all. It is really important that you avoid getting to this stage!

Grandpa's role

Written by Roger Ashelford. After the initial excitement of the news that we were going to be grandparents I started to think of all the lovely things we would be able to do with our grandchildren as they grew up! The very early years were wonderful for the cuddles and watching the development of these small people, the smiles and the start of language but I knew I was going to become more ‘useful’ as they all got older.

Being a Granny

Written by Thirza Ashelford. I will never forget the moment I was told I was going to be a grandparent. Our son and his partner had arrived one Friday evening, ostensibly to stay for the weekend and visit friends in the town. We chatted in the kitchen while I made dinner when our son announced that they had something to show us. The “something” was a twelve week scan photograph of our first grandchild. That moment of transition from being a parent to becoming a grandparent was thrilling, exciting and at the same time somewhat overwhelming.

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