I Want That One! A book for Dads that is Dad-friendly!

A book destined to be stained with coffee

I've always looked at books for Dads as being slightly weird. I'm not sure why I would think that, but there has always been something cringe worthy about them. The idea of turning Dad in to 'Mr Perfect Father' has always seemed unrealistic to me. Dads are Dads - bumbling, fun, sometimes grumpy, sometimes the fumbling fool - but generally the treasured relief from 'Mother Dearest'. 

So nice then to see a refreshing and realistic book come out from Ian Grant. If you are in New Zealand you will know of Grant as a parenting expert who can often be heard on varying radio stations in New Zealand - or running The Parenting Place. If you are from outside New Zealand then you will still appreciate the wisdom communicated through this book.

Fathers who dare win is a very palatable book - easy to read, without the dumming down of many of it's contemporaries. And also, in my opinion, without the liberal attitude to kids these days - you know how it goes, 'little _____ (insert child's name) doesn't like homework, so we don't do it' - you know, without that nonsense.

There are chapters on relevant issues like character building, getting to know a new baby, how to help your children understand anger, and growing happy children. As the Mother of a six year old Only Child (a girl) I am really starting to notice how much influence her Father's action or inaction can have on her. For this reason I really tested this book against some situations we have faced recently - and the advice given by Grant was and is incredibly helpful, but more than that, the advice helped to give us some clarity. After all, your Only Child is your first child! It's a total learning experience!

Importantly, I found this book to echo some good old fashioned 'common sense' that we seem to have lost while we have been surfing Facebook and checking our iphones.... And yes, I know that common sense means different things to different parenting philosophies and cultures, but there are some things that don't go out of fashion - no matter where you are, and what you do. 

Read the words: BE CLEAR ABOUT DISCIPLINE!

The book Fathers who dare win reminds me of the roles we play in our childrens' lives, and how that can affect their character as they grow in to young adults.

A great read!

Check out Fathers who dare win

I Want That One! Every Child has got to have a PILLOW PET!

Be prepared to love Pillow Pets...

We had seen other pillow-type toys before, and within 48hours of purchasing them, they were already destined for the 'charity pile' - that is, the pile of toys and clothes in my house that have been less than pleasing purchases!

Well, we have stumbled upon the bestest cutest pillow pet toy I have ever seen. In fact, they are called Pillow Pets! 

Pyjamas: check. Pillow Pet: check.

My daughter found the new pillow pet - a ladybird looking pillow with a head - before I was ready to give it to her. While I was reading a posh current affairs magazine trying to be knowledgeable, my Only Child came bounding down the hallway screaming at the top of her lungs, "IS THIS FOR ME? IS THIS FOR ME?". I replied calmly, "yes".

My Only Child was in love with it already. Kids just seem to know whey a toy is good. And they always seem to know how to use it, before Mum and Dad do.

In a second, you can fold the pillow pet, and it stands up!

"Look Mum, it can be a pillow and a pet!". And she took the velcro tab on one end of the toy and attached it to the other side. My Only Child started demonstrating all the things she could use her pillow pet for... at some point during the afternoon I saw it being bounced up and down on the trampoline, then just before dinner it was being cradled at the 'children's hospital'.

The Pillow Pet is so soft, and so cute! Surprisingly cute! I even wrote on my personal facebook account that a certain pregnant family member had to cuddle up with a couple of these. They have a comforting effect it seems.

Going to bed is easier with a Pillow Pet!

Pillow Pets would be good for all age Only Children - and their parents! The pillow has just the right amount of cushion to make children feel like they are really cuddling and playing with something. And the velcro tab that allows the pillow pet to fold up in to a freestanding 'pet' is fantastic.

I knew we were on to a good thing when come bed time, my Only Child threw her usual strawberry pillowcased pillow off the bed, and announced, "You and Daddy can have my old pillow now - I'm sleeping on my pillow pet everynight!". 

And that is just what she has done every night since we got it.

Pillow Pets are a worthy investment for your Only Child, or any child who thinks they have everything already. 

Buy your Pillow Pet Now!

Pillow Pets Official Home Page

I want that One! Bear Grylls new book!!!

Mud, Sweat and Tears

A great read for fans!

When Bear Grylls' new book arrived in the post - a few kids who were over for a play-date with my Only Child ran over and yelled, "It's Bear. It's Bear!".... after looking through the pages the six and seven year olds realized that every page wasn't a picture, and then subsequently carried on with their games outside.

Bear Grylls - adventuring star of The Discovery Channel's Man Vs Wild series - has written a great book about his childhood and his subsequent progress to global survival stardom! 

Easy to read!

There are so many anecdotes and stories Grylls shares with his readers - from girls, to high school, to meeting his wife. But what we found the most interesting was his chapters on his SAS trials and tribulations. This is definitely a book for a Bear Grylls fan - who is at least 12 years old. 

There are a good amount of pictures in it - some great ones of Bear when he was a young lad. Who knew he went to Eton??? 

What was most curious and fantastic is that Bear 'saved' his sister Lara from a life of Only Childom... His sister Lara recounts how lonely she was growing up as the Only Child, and how she had complained to her Mum and Dad that she was lonely... 

I really do recommend this book to Bear Grylls fans, and to all those young teen kids who are inspired by the outdoors and exploration. Grylls teaches kids to stand up for their beliefs and to keep going!

What an inspiring guy!

Check out Bear Grylls website

One Moment Please! How much help do you have?

Nanny? Cleaner? Tutor? Babysitter? ?????? Personal Trainer?

A lamb roast with bacon, carrots, onions, garlic, and potatoes by me! (not my housekeeper!)

So, I was dutifully watching the Only Child's piano lesson with a few other parents and their children, when one of my daughter's class mates arrived late. The latecomer is an Only Child and is a happy lovely girl, and this day  in particular I noticed that her Mother was not with her, but another person was - "this is my nanny Julia", said the latecomer. The nanny apologized for their lateness, then sat down next to me.

I had an interesting conversation with the latecomer's nanny - the type of conversation that the latecomer's Mother would never have with me. The nanny asked me, "how much help do you have with your child?". I thought about it... not a lot!

I have a personal trainer for myself during the week - but do I have an individual to specifically help me with my child - no. Oh, I guess there's the Only Child's Dad - but we all know how much 'help' Dads are.... (joking Dads!).

The housekeeper can wipe these down...

Apparently the young latecomer's Mother had a nanny, house keeper three times a week, and a tutor come in for one hour Monday to Friday to help with the child's homework! Now, I can absolutely see how a Mum would need this help, but I thought it was curious that with an Only Child the Mother thought she needed that much help... And so did the Nanny funnily enough. Even more curious to me, was the fact that the Mother didn't work full-time or part-time - so her commitments to a boss were zero, and thus her time should be free for her child?

"It's a little bit over-kill if you ask me", said the Nanny. I affirmed that thought, but stated that different parents may need more or less help over the years, and who are we to judge etc. "Well, she doesn't need the help, she just doesn't enjoy the child-rearing", said the young German Nanny matter-of-factly. She continued, "I think some Mums just need to be honest with themselves, especially if they have had a child or children and they don't enjoy them". Oh my, the things this Nanny said!

I need a nanny!!!

I thought about it for a short time... Mums who don't enjoy their children need more help? Hmm. I employ a personal trainer at the gym I go to, because I need direction, and I like direction and guidance when I am working out. But in terms of enjoyment, it doesn't have an effect. 

So, having an Only Child, I would think I would need a lot of help if my time was consumed with work or detailed projects - but to have a lot of help when you don't do anything? If I couldn't be bothered with my Only Child at all, or the child-rearing got me down, I would definitely look at hiring help - be that a nanny, or a housekeeper.

But I guess at the end of the day, what a Mum and Dad does with their time is their business - and if they want to keep their time as efficient as possible, then long periods spent with a child does seem a 'drag'.... doesn't it? 

There are Mums and Dads with three, four, five children who don't hire any help - they cope as it is. However, just because they don't have help doesn't mean they don't need help! I'm sure we can all think of those big families where a few of the kids have obvious attention deficit issues!

I think when deciding to hire 'help', one needs to think about the pros and cons of how this 'help' will benefit your child, you, and all of you as a family unit. And be careful, I hear it's an expensive habit to break!

I Want That One! Geleez not just for dessert!

Kids love stickers - the ability to make their own? Even better.

So, the Only Child had been asking for weeks, "When are you going to buy me those stickers you make yourself that Meg [a friend] got for her birthday?". She had told me about these things last year, but I confess, I wasn't really listening at the time. So, I had no idea about this fabulous gift Meg received...

Well, today we finally bought Geleez and now I understand everything. 

I bet I will find these stuck on the wall soon...

Geleez seem to combine a child's love of stickers and coloring in - and bright liquids. Geleez are stickers that are pre-drawn, but not coloured in or decorated yet - so guess what? The kids get to do the fun part of decorating and colouring in the stickers. And I have to admit, it's a lot of fun! 

Well the little bit I got to do was fun... I was told i wasn't allowed to touch them anymore after awhile. Such is their value to my Only Child!

The pack we got had baggage tag stickers, and cards that can be decorated with your Geleez stickers - it was quite cool. And, the decorating and colouring in kept her silently occupied - she was enthralled with it. Which meant my sunday morning newspaper reading was uninterrupted and blissful. Perfect.

The instructions for Geleez advises to wait overnight for the gel to set hard - so my advice is to make it a late afternoon activity, or after dinner treat if they have been good only children.

Visit the Geleez website

Just know we will be buying more...

I Want That One! Would you like placenta with that?

Your Only Child - surely you kept their placenta...

Keep an open mind for a moment...

Yes, this is a placenta. Some people like to utilize it after it's original purpose.

Well, I did keep my Only Child's placenta in the freezer for about a year, always thinking we would do something with it... and we didn't. If we had known about Baby Tree Placenta Services - we would have.

Kirsty Ren of Baby Tree Placenta Services tells us that the placenta is an amazing organ, "even if you don't want to keep it you should still be able to appreciate that." Agree.

However, there is that 'ick' factor associated with the placenta - the blood, the words 'after birth', and the blood again. Ren's service aims to take the 'ick' out of your child's placenta, and repackage it in to something you are comfortable handling - like capsules, art work, or for those who really want too - a smoothie.

In fact, Placentophagy (the act of eating placenta), "is of the most benefit in the first month after the birth of your baby ... you should still notice an improvement in energy, milk supply and mood from a placenta that has been kept in the freezer for two years." And many New Zealanders have done what I did, and kept their child's placenta in the freezer - slightly unsure what to do with it. "There are thousands of placentas in freezers all around the country waiting for 'one day' when the perfect place and the perfect tree are found."

Dried, powdered and encapsulated.

The benefit of using Ren's service seems to be nutritional, spiritual, and for post-partum health. "Placentophagy can balance your mood and prevent postnatal depression, support milk supply, increase iron levels, boost energy, and reduce post-partum bleeding." And for those who are in desperate times after the birth of their child, there is comfort in knowing Ren is able to produce the placenta capsules from start to finish for you in 24 hours. "I will happily make tinctures or creams on request."

Ren tells us that every placenta is different, "some are round, some are heart shaped, I even had one that looked like a Christmas tree...". The different shapes of placenta help Ren to create beautiful placenta artwork, that is truly an object blood-linked to your child and you.

Baby Tree Placenta Services regular package, "includes dried cord keepsake and art prints made from your placenta." I imagine these keepsakes hold priceless value for the families that have taken up Ren's services. And who knows? One day science may allow us to tap in to many more currently unknown benefits of keeping your child's placenta. 

Baby Tree Placenta Services

Having a baby is a good time to man up!

A reasonably light book for a heavy topic!

I was delighted to receive a copy of Stefan Korn's, Scott Lancaster's, and Eric Mooij's recent book Dad's Guide to Pregnancy for Dummies. I had heard about their website DIYFather.com through a friend, but I had never taken the step to venture any further... I probably should have, or at least got my Mr to head over there...

And hey, for those of us who are doing the pregnancy thing only once - we may as well make the most of it!

I guess my first impression of the book is that it is very much a 'man's book' - if I may be so un-PC... almost like a tool box for the modern Dad-to-be. Very practical and to the point - bullet point to be exact.

Chapters in the book cover all trimesters, prep before the birth, during the birth, and most importantly - after the birth, when we all know the real work begins.

A colorful pen helps point the way

I was especially intrigued by page 14's "Trading in your lifestyle (but not the sports car)" where the authors talk about the points in a man's life that will inevitably change. I read these points with amusement and encouragement thinking about how nice it would be if the men reading these paragraphs would actually follow through... However, it's reassuring that a book meant for Dads-to-be give them an indication of the variety of topics of their other half's nagging for the next five years at least...

Another familiar good piece of advice I found on page 21 was the point about endurance. "Sometimes the only way to cope with a situation is to endure it". This was familiar to me, as I have only learnt that through the years of parenting - endurance is survival! Smiling at the end of endurance is success!

As the book says, "A good time to man up"

So, I totally recommend this book to all Dads-to-be  who may not have a lot of time on their hands before the birth, or Dads who just might need some gentle encouragement in to the whole 'bringing new life in to the world' thing.

And when it comes to the unknown, knowledge can be power.

Visit DIYFather.com if you are so inclined.

Dad's Guide to Pregnancy for Dummies

I want that One! What to read when you're knocked up...

A pregnancy book captured by My Little Ponies

I was quite excited when I heard New Zealand personality Jaquie Brown had written a book called I'm not fat, I'm pregnant. The book was, "The Ultimate guide to getting pregnant, being pregnant and surviving life with a crazy but wonderful newborn". That's what it says on the cover. 

Being a Mum who absolutely loved every minute of my indulgent, lazy, fat, spoilt pregnancy... I thought it would be nice to trek down memory lane and see if the advice and anecdotes in the book would have been helpful to the 'me' six years ago - pre Only Child.

The first thing that stood out to me was the humorous and witty tone of the book - I appreciated that, and I could relate to the awkward moments one experiences, but can't necessarily articulate. I remembered many moments with my midwife where I would retell a funny pregnancy fact or moment I experienced, and her reaction being somewhat indifferent (and not laughing!). Brown's book doesn't view these wonderful first time experiences as something women have been doing for 100s of years - she affords first-time pregnancy and conception all the detail and wonder that they deserve. 

Week by week - in glorious detail!

I loved that the book was set out week by week of each trimester - and in Brown's book, there are four trimesters. Of all the pregnancy material I was given or bought during my pregnancy, I always read the material that went week by week. When you are a first time Mum-to-be, everything is week by week. People talk about what to expect in a cumulative sense, and what you will feel, but everything is incremental and individual. And Brown's inclusion of her own pregnancy diary illustrates that. 

Broadly speaking, the book is a very reassuring, and friendly pregnancy bible for all new Mums-to-be. Comfort reading if you like. Not comfort as in 'everything is going to be okay for everyone', but comfort as in, it doesn't show you horrible photos of abnormalities and vast diagrams of mutation probabilities... we don't need those do we? We all know how to use google when we are pregnant and confused...

The nutritional advice is excellent, and the use of other experts' advice thrown in at the right time is a great touch. 

So, would the book have been helpful to me six years ago? Certainly. It is helpful to my sister currently. This is a good sign, as my sister is not exactly 'receptive' to advice...

Now, I would only ask that Miss Brown write a book entitled, I'm not fat, I had a baby (six years ago). I know someone who might need this currently....

Random House Publisher

We All Know What It's Like To Give Birth To Terrorists...

A handy weapon in your parenting arsenal

This website extols the phrase, "Tongue-in-cheek or foot-in-mouth! No experts, just Mums and Dads, and Only Children. "

So, when I came across a copy of Parenting Expert Nigel Latta's book Battlefield Wisdom, I turned the first page with a spoonful of cynicism and an internal voice saying  'I hate people telling me what to do - especially when it comes to parenting'.

Well, firstly, the book is small, just under 15cm in height and about 10.5cm in width - so this is a good start. And secondly, the book is composed of 40 very concise chapters. So this is not one of those brick-like parenting advice books - Thank God!

What it is though, is a companion for that little voice in every parent's head that says things and asks questions that never see the light of day. Battlefield Wisdom is like a weapon of stealth in the busy or stressed parent's arsenal of parenting weapons. For that reason, it is best left near the kettle, the telephone, or underneath your pillow. 

Here are a few of my favorite moments in the book:

Chapter 13 Dads - "Dads are great, but they can also be completely bloody hopeless... Dads forget to take hats, gloves, and coats... Dads sometimes take a while to notice that you're sick."

Chapter 3 Beware experts - "... I really do think that all these experts telling people how to raise children is a problem, maybe even the single biggest problem that parents face."

Chapter 12 Mums - "Mums are great, but they can also be a pain in the arse." (Especially love this moment)

Chapter 21 Fine young cannibals - "Hungry children eat - that's pretty much all you need to know."

Chapter 26 'I hate you' - "The 'I hate you' technique is the childhood equivalent of the 'flash-bang' explosive device that SWAT and anti-terrorist teams use..."

Battlefield Wisdom was attacked by my Only Child. She fought
this wisdom the only way she knew how... with a rainbow
colored pencil.

Latta's idea of parenting being like a 'battlefield' is extended throughout the book with references to children being akin to little terrorists. Yes, how very politically incorrect of him! But, it is probably wise to learn how to deal with  a little bit of domestic insurgency; Since, as Latta says, it is better to deal with a two year old dictator - than a 22 year old one. Indeed.

And the nice thing about the book for me, is it is good to know that the politically incorrect Latta has made the same threat I have made. You will have to read about that on page 17. Except, my Only Child did think she was going to sleep on the trampoline for the night... 

It is a great short read, and a weapon you will want to consult every now and then - but not too much! He is an Expert after all...

Nigel Latta's website
Harper Collins

I want that One! Fairys at the Fairy Shop!

The Only Child visits The Fairy Shop in Auckland and wants one... of everything.

Let your daughter experience the stuff of fairy tales

Away with the Fairies

Name one shop in Auckland where you can take your daughter or fairy-interested son to, and be secure in the knowledge that the fantasy of fairyland, fairies, and childhood innocence will be maintained... The Fairy Shop, currently at 582 Karangahape Road is the shop that fits the title. The Fairy Shop Website

I want that One!

The first impression you get from the The Fairy Shop is the fabulous attention to detail. As a Mother who appreciates the hard labor that goes in to the daintiest of details - I immediately sense authenticity, and you will too.

The products seem to have been carefully picked out and displayed, and some of the dresses and skirts are hung high to expose the tulle fullness of the outfits. The dresses are high quality and are affordable special treats for your Only Child - they will want one!

Indeed, I can remember as a little girl being fascinated with hoop skirts, winged outfits, and Victorian dresses. There is something essential about a little girl being able to experience the feeling of being in a dress very similar to the one's she sees in fairy tales. The Fairy Shop makes this possible.

The Throne Room

Among other things, The Fairy Shop stocks party wares, stationary, trinkets, bags, jewellery, balloons and shoes. Hosts Fairy Birthday parties - at the shop, or at your own home. And from time to time hosts special Fairy Morning Teas.

There are real Fairies roaming around that enable character experiences, and they are an essential part of The Fairy Shop's Birthday Parties. The Throne room is a gorgeous place to host your child's party, and is the only room I have found in New Zealand that comes close to Disneyland's Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique carriage room.

The Fairy Shop reminds us that no matter how big we get, we all believed in Fairies at some point...

The Fairy Shop's website
The Fairy Shop's Birthday Parties