Christmas can be a wonderful time and Christmas with a baby or children even more so…. hang on…  Christmas with kids is a STRESSFUL time!! ARRRGH! So I was really glad to read the Pampers Village Parenting Panel experts ultimate tips for an enjoyable festive season with baby:

Baby Development advice from Dr Maggie Redshaw:

• The first Christmas stocking is really exciting – bubbles to blow, finger puppets and small picture books are great for babies and parents. Interacting through play helps to facilitate conversation through facial expression, sounds and movement.
• Babies really enjoy wrapping paper and boxes at Christmas, and play with them as they would expensive toys so there is no need to spend a lot, but just take care about items that might not be so good to put in the mouth. A box can be a boat, car or den so use your imagination to bring games to life – this will help baby develop through social and make-believe play.
• Christmas is usually a time for lots of indoor play, but make the most of it when it’s bright and crisp to get out to the park to try a kick around with a ball or play in the leaves/snow – this will help baby to develop physically while having fun.  Read more »

Here at Online Mum we don’t normally cover issues regarding school age children, but we are about to make an exception. The people at School Admissions sent us a copy of their book The School Admission Guide, and I must say I was very impressed.

I know from applying for a Primary School place for my son, the whole process can be a minefield. This book however does explain and simplify the whole application process. I didn’t know how the system worked and from reading the book I think I was very very lucky that my son got the place he did! I would have listed different schools if I had known how places were allocated.  Read more »

My favourite movie is the Muppet Christmas Carol, and there is no excuse not to watch it over and over again now it is nearly Christmas. As Christmas approaches it really makes you think about the joy in your life and yes about the past. Read more »

Baby’s bath time can be a wonderful fun time as well as one of the daily chores you need to do when you have a new baby.

As you baby gets a bit bigger there are many games you can play at bath time

Share a bath
Listen to music, sing a relaxing song or put in some bath toys and play. It’s a great bonding experience. For safety reasons, be sure not to fill the bath too high or too hot, and always have a firm hold on your baby.

Take care when getting in and out of the bath. Getting your partner to hand her to you, and take her from you is a good idea. Read more »

Increase your chances of getting pregnant.

Some women fall pregnant very easily if they are trying for a baby, others wait months. Unfortunately, some women no matter what methods they try, find it hard or almost impossible to fall pregnant.

If trying to get pregnant is new to you, this article will give you some helpful advice: Read more »