Toddlers: An Instruction Manual for Surviving Years One to Four by Joanne Mallon

Toddlers, an instruction manual When I was pregnant with my eldest, Kieran, I bought every baby and toddler book going. The baby ones were glanced at then put on the lovely nursery shelf so that I could read for the 30,00th time the “How you know you are in labour”, “What will happen in hospital” and “What you will need” leaflets from the midwife service.

After Kieran was born and started toddling around I dusted off my “Know your Toddler” books, certain that they would hold the secret to ensuring thet oddler years were as pleasant as possible for all concerned. It became evident pretty quickly that these books were a load of tripe! Page after page of condescending nonsence that served one purpose only and that was to convince me that I was the worse Mum in the world, ever!

So why am I now blogging about a toddler guidebook? This one is different! Toddlers: An Instruction Guide to Surviving the Years One to Four is written by Joanne Mallon, a journalist for 15 years, a parent for 12 years and a life coach for 10years. It does not contain one ounce of condescending bullshit. This books features extracts from the real toddler experts, Mums and Dads (including me!).

Joanne works her way through all the aspects that we know and love about owning our own piece of toddler-dom from sleeping, eating and potty training to discipline, interacting with siblings and new babies as well as looking after yourself. Curled up reading this book I found myself swinging from snorts of laughter (she has a great way with words!) and I-remember-that-well nods. I’ve done toddler years and survived with most of my sanity and furnishings intact. Now I find myself facing those brilliant discovery years again for the second time and am so glad, having read the book, that I have it here if I want it or to remind me that it is ok to want to scream into a pillow, even if the sofa has new swirly permanent marker patterns.

Toddlers: An Instructions Manual for Surviving Years One to Four is available in paperback and in Kindle format and is NOT to be missed!

 

Quick and fun water activities for toddlers

Thanks to Helen Lindop for today’s guest post! Helen is mum to two toddlers and blogs about running a business around a young family at businessplusbaby.com. She’s also just started a new blog at toddlerstuff.wordpress.com.

My toddlers are fascinated by water – pouring, stirring, splashing and even throwing it! Getting the paddling pool out is great fun, but sometimes the weather just isn’t warm enough or you don’t have the time to set it all up then dry up afterwards.

So here are some quick and easy water activities that can be done outside even on cooler days. Just put on waterproof clothing and wellies if it’s too chilly for a swimsuit.

1. Bucket of bubbles

This one keeps my toddlers amused for ages. Get a clean bucket (adult-sized) and half-fill with water. Add a good squirt of washing-up liquid and stir the water vigorously with a whisk (or something similar) until the bubbles are coming up to the top of the bucket. Then add cups, bottles, spoons, funnels, watering cans and any other containers you can find. My two and three-year-olds love scooping up bubbles, pouring them, trailing them across the ground and making me ‘cups of tea’!

2. Water containers

Fill a few bowls and buckets with water and place them around the garden. Add some cups, pans and bottles and your toddler will carry cups of water from one to the other. You could even put a few spots of food colouring in the buckets.

We found a short section of clean plastic guttering that was left over from some repairs on our house. The kids loved propping up one end of the guttering then pouring water, leaves and small toys down the little river they’d created. (Just make sure there are no sharp edges on the guttering.)

3. Water painting

Give your toddler a bucket of water and a clean paintbrush (the type you’d use for decorating your house), then let them ‘paint’ paths, fences, walls or anything else they fancy.

There’s nothing to clean up because it’s only water. This is one of the few activities where the play area might even be cleaner after the kids have finished than it was when they started!

4. Dolly’s laundrette

Have a pint-sized wash-day with a bowl of bubbly water and dolly clothes. Give your toddler some pegs and a washing line to hang the clothes on afterwards.

5. The bath

If the weather is just too cold, give your toddler an extra-long bath-time instead so you can both stay warm!