Before Indie was born I regularly read 'Baby Essentials' posts to prepare myself for our new arrival. Something I haven't seen a blog post on is toddler essentials so I thought I'd share the top ten things that we have found important when raising a toddler.
1) Highchair - with straps
During the baby stage it's fairly easy to keep a child occupied with food. Once they become a toddler they tend to get a little more mischievous and try to climb out so I highly recommend a highchair with straps, preferably one that is easy to wipe clean. We use the Ikea Antilop and cannot recommend it enough.
2) Calpol
Whether it be to ease Post-Immunisation Fever or to help your little one get some sleep through a bad night of teething, Calpol has been a staple to have in our medicine cabinet. I know it's very controversial to give babies medicine and such-forth, but there's some things a mothers love cannot ease, and if I can give Indie Calpol and her fever be gone within 15 minutes, I'm all for that!
3) Shoes
Something I never even thought about until Indie started to walk was shoes. There is nothing more important than a supportive comfortable shoe. We have 2 pairs of closed supportive shoes for Indie for general running about and when we got out for walks, and 2 pairs of cooler summer shoes. She has a pair of Jelly Sandals for walking on the warmer days, and a pair of cool open sandals for car journeys and pram outings to keep her feet cool.
4) Toothpaste and toothpaste
Goes without saying, we brush our teeth twice a day so we have to teach our little ones to aswell. Starting as soon as Indie's teeth popped through has made it a little easier for us now, but alot of toddlers don't like having their teeth brushed. We bought a brightly coloured soft bristled toothbrush to try and encourage Indie and make it a bit more of a positive experience.
5) Books and toys
Lots of books and toys. Noisy, loud, musical and garish seem to be our little one's favourite and reading books with animals has really helped in her development and she has learnt animal sounds within a few weeks.
6) Wipes & Nappies
Nappies and wipes. We tend to use more now than when she was newborn! By this time you've probably found a brand that work for you, it took us a while. Wipes are multi-purpose. Dirty nappies, sticky fingers, food smeared chops and for cleaning off the hand prints that mummy find on her jeans seconds before she has to run out the door!
7) Sudocrem
Nappy rash cream. It's inevitable that with wearing a nappy and constantly moving around they will get some form of irritation. We've found Sudocrem the best for us, and when using it the rash always disappears within 24 hours. It's also great for insect bites and little grazes.
8) Water cup
It took us a good 6-7 attempts to find a drinks bottle that Indie liked. We weren't so fussed on the non-spill element but more on how easy she could drink from it. Some advice I would offer is to try and drink from it yourself. We found that it was hard for us to get anything out of a couple of them so I can only imagine how hard it must have been for a toddler.
9) Comfy Clothes
By nature, toddlers are constantly on the move and exploring so comfy clothes are a must. The more durable the better so they can explore freely.
10) Teething Products
With toddlers come more teeth! We've found that the only thing that works for Indie is Ashton & Parsons Teething Powder but there are a selection of teething products including gels and powders, it's just a question of finding what works best for your little one.
No comments:
Post a Comment