The legal Mom

Child Custody

Parents have an inherent right and duty to form part of their child’s lives. However, it often happens that parents of a child cannot see eye to eye as to what is in their child’s best interest. More often than not, when parents are divorced, separated or not living together, issues arise regarding the children they share. And then there is the case where parents want full custody over their children. These issues may range from the amount of contact the other parent has, the school the child may attend, or what extra-mural activities the child should pursue.

January 22, 2020
Baby's and Beyond

Single working mothers need to protect their ability to earn an income

Much like the rest of the world, the typical South African family structure has changed over the years. The prevalence of single parent families is on the rise and increasingly, women head more households. The combined effect of these two structural shifts has seen a growing number of single working mothers in the South African workforce.

January 21, 2020
Prima Baby

CHICCO MICROWAVE STERILIZER

Chicco, leaders in baby products for over 62 years, originally started out as a medical company, with emphasis on providing the best products in the medical world for babies. They have maintained a strict quality control throughout the years and continue to provide parents with products that are quality tested, functional and convenient.

January 20, 2020
Clamber Club

10 ways to BOND with your Baby!

We hear this term so often that is has the danger of becoming meaningless, when in fact it is a critical part of building a trusting and loving relationship between you and your baby. Bonding is the development of an emotional attachment and unconditional love between a parent and baby. It promotes a sense of security and wellbeing, and helps to build confidence, self esteem and trust. Young babies need to feel safe and protected, and you can help with this by cuddling your baby, gazing lovingly at him, and responding to his needs. All of this is what bonding is about.

January 17, 2020
Happy Family Organics

WHY FIBER MATTERS FOR BABIES, TOTS AND MAMA

Dietary fiber comes from plants: think fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, beans, nuts and seeds. Diets higher in fiber can help lower cholesterol, control blood sugar, maintain bowel health, manage constipation and help promote a healthy weight. In fact, in epidemiological studies, populations with higher dietary fiber intakes tend to have lower chronic disease rates overall. A higher fiber intake provided by foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole- and high-fiber grain products is likely to be lower in calories, fat and added sugar.

January 17, 2020
Prima Baby

CHICCO NATURAL FEELING GIFT SET (PINK OR BLUE)

Every expectant mom wants the very best for her baby. Chicco, leaders in baby products for 62 years, know the importance of ensuring parents only top quality products, whilst making their lives as easy as possible.

January 13, 2020
Majors for Minors

Safe sleeping practices for babies

According to the CDC [1], every year about 3,500 babies die from sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUIDs). While we still don’t know that much about it, it has been shows that practicing safe sleeping habits can reduce the risk greatly.

January 10, 2020
Meg Faure

Sleep: Teach your baby to self-sooth

Sleep is a very complicated part of early parenting, which is part of the reason that it presents such a challenge. There are simply so many variables, from nutrition and health to anxiety and sensory needs. One variable that simply cannot be overlooked is self-soothing. In order to sleep through the night independently, a baby needs to learn to self-sooth.

January 9, 2020
Parenting Hub

STARTING TO SELF FEED WITH THE BOON PULP

Once your baby can sit up and bring their hands to their mouth you can start with the Boon Pulp. Munching and crunching, all require lots of practice for babies who are just learning to self-feed, and the results can be messy. The Boon Pulp Silicone Feeder is a tidy solution: it works like a mesh feeder, but it’s sturdier and keeps the mess more contained, so your child can use her brand-new teeth to gnaw away at healthy snacks without requiring an entire roll of paper towels for clean up afterwards. Self-feeding offers a great way to teach babies dexterity and hand-eye co-ordination.

January 8, 2020
The legal Mom

Child Maintenance

When it comes to children, strong commitment and love are not negotiable. Unfortunately, not all parents honour this duty, specifically their legal duty to maintain the well-being of their children. Considering this, the child maintenance system ensures that all parents honour their duty to maintain/support their children.

January 8, 2020
Prima Baby

CHICCO NATURAL FEELING NEWBORN STARTER SET (NEUTRAL)

The Chicco Natural Feeling Newborn Starter Set is a wonderful introduction package of Natural Feeling nursing products. Natural Feeling as a bottle range has been one of the most widely accepted ranges by babies on a global scale, with a 96% latch rate on teats and excellent anti-colic functionality.

January 6, 2020
Parenting Hub

Breastmilk reserves critically low

The South African Breastmilk Reserve (SABR) has issued an urgent call for breastmilk donations as reserves run critically low.

December 20, 2019
Prima Baby

FIRST DREAMS LULLABY SHEEP

The First Dreams range features pastel pink and blue variants of a series of toys that are all fundamentally multi-tech driven, with gorgeous aesthetic and cleverly thought-out practicality.

December 17, 2019
Baby's and Beyond

Considering starting solids? – what to look out for

Starting solids can be an exciting time. I remember when we started our son on solids. We had my brother and the grandparents over. He was propped up in a chair and we all watched as my husband and I fed him some mashed butternut from a spoon. The video is so cute, the words of praise about how clever he was is quite impressive, and his outfit was cuter than cute. However, now when I watch the video, I shudder. I shudder because I can now see all the non-verbal signals that he was sending, saying he was not ready. We could have waited a week longer, just to give him time. If I had known better, I would have done better.

December 16, 2019
The legal Mom

Parenting Plans

When co-holders experience difficulties in exercising their responsibilities and rights, they must agree on a parenting plan to regulate the exercise of their rights and responsibilities as a prerequisite before approaching the court. They must first seek the assistance of the family advocate, social worker or psychologist; alternatively, they must go for a mediation facilitated by a social worker or other suitably qualified person.

December 16, 2019
Prima Baby

FIRST DREAMS NEXT2STARS PROJECTOR

The First Dreams range features pastel pink and blue variants of a series of toys that are all fundamentally multi-tech driven, with gorgeous aesthetic and cleverly thought-out practicality.

December 11, 2019
OneAid

How To Use a Car Seat Harness Correctly

It’s Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week and I have decided to talk a little about the car seat harness. The car seat harness holds a child down in the car seat so they cannot slide up, forward and out the car seat in the event of a crash.

December 9, 2019
Prima Baby

FIRST DREAMS GOODNIGHT BEAR

The First Dreams range features pastel pink and blue variants of a series of toys that are all fundamentally multi-tech driven, with gorgeous aesthetic and cleverly thought-out practicality.

December 6, 2019
Parenting Hub

Have baby – will travel

Travelling with babies and toddlers can be stressful, whether it is navigating public transport, such as the underground in London or simply a domestic flight in South Africa – you are bound to find a pram a mission to contend with. That why I have always chosen to travel with my baby carrier. There are a few good reasons for this:

December 6, 2019
Majors for Minors

Playing music to help your baby sleep

Sleep is one of the most essential aspects of a baby’s development.  It helps their bodies and minds develop, and the truth is that music can play a major role in both the development of your baby, as well as helping them achieve a more restful sleep. Even though your baby’s brain is not yet fully developed, the reality is that they are actually not much different from adults when it comes to the basic structure and functionality of their brains.  This also applies to the auditory cortex portion of their brain. The auditory cortex forms part of the temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex.   This is one of the first parts of the brain to develop, meaning that playing music to your unborn baby can already have benefits.  In fact, some studies have shown that playing music for your baby in utero (while still in the womb) can help create a better foundation for their reaction and appreciation for music once they are born.  In other words, playing music for your unborn baby can make it easier to eventually use music as a means of helping your child fall asleep. Heartbeat is the ideal music stimulation for in-utero and newborn babies. Within the womb, from as early as six months, the unborn child experiences many sounds, including the ever-present heartbeat. It is important to note that not all music is suitable for helping your baby fall asleep.  Music with high pitches or deep bass should be avoided.  These types of sounds act more as a stimulant than a relaxant.  This is why lullabies are a popular and good choice by most parents, as most of these are designed to instil a sense of comfort. Another popular choice is classical music.  As these contain no lyrics, it can be much less distracting. It also contains more soothing and gentle instrumental sounds, rather than heavy percussion as is found in other genres of music. All our albums are suitable for helping your baby fall asleep. On top of helping your baby fall asleep, playing music during playtime and bedtime routines, as well as during sleep, can also help their overall brain development.  Studies have shown that the correct music introduces your baby to emotional stimuli which will help to increase their emotional intelligence.  As your child gets older and starts to interact and understand a more complex world, this gentle emotional stimulus will help your child to better understand herself, as well as recognise patterns.  Pattern recognition is one of the fundamentals of child development, and a cornerstone of both critical thinking and problem solving. There are a few important things to take note of when playing music for your baby to help them fall asleep.  The first of these is volume.  It is very important to not play the music too loud.  Even if you have the correct music, turning up the volume on any kind of music will stimulate your baby and cause her brain to enter an active phase. Secondly, placement of the music source.  The further away the music is, one instinctively tend to make the music louder.  Rather try placing the source closer to the crib (or right next to it), and turn the volume down. Lastly, how long should you play the music for?  Most psychologists and experts will suggest not playing music to your baby throughout the night.  This can cause the music to become a crutch for your baby in that they will become dependant on the music to fall asleep. What is suggested is to start playing music a few hours before bedtime, and then switch it off after your baby has fallen asleep (or as they are falling asleep).  This is dependant on your baby, as some will never form the attachment while other might. An example routine would be to start with Playtime and Bedtime with Bach a few hours before starting your bedtime routine.  Put on some Symphony of Sleep during bath time to help your baby get into a calm state of mind ready for sleep, and then finally Classical Music Lullabies to help them drift off into a restful sleep.

December 4, 2019
Prima Baby

FIRST DREAMS NEXT2MOBILE

Chicco, leaders in children’s development for the past 62 years, have the perfect toy range for newborns, making your little ones introduction to the world as soft as a mothers cuddle.

December 2, 2019
Prima Baby

DISNEY BABY MINNIE & MICKEY FIRST ABILITIES PLUSH DOLL

Christmas is just around the corner and choosing a toy that will not only entertain, but also help develop young minds has become more important to parents than ever when deciding what to get the little ones.

November 26, 2019
Skidz

Developmental Milestones…What’s the fuss?

If you are a parent or are around parents of young children, there is a high chance that you’ve heard about developmental milestones. You may have even read about it in a baby book or an article, heard from your paediatrician or from any other professional specialising in early childhood development. You may have heard parents proudly speak about the fact that their child has skipped certain milestones, such as crawling and has gone straight to walking, and so they’re now “ahead of the pack”. You may have seen the complete opposite, parents in a frenzy because their child is one month behind in some of their milestones. You may have heard others completely disregard milestones all together. So what is the fuss all about? How important are milestones really?

November 25, 2019
Parenting Hub

Enjoy the great outdoors with your kids – Thule style

If you love all things nature-inspired, summer is the best time to get your kids involved in your downtime activities – from hikes, to cycling trails and running trails. The most important thing is to be organised and prepared, plus have the right gear to make things efficient and easy on the day. Enter Swedish brand, Thule, which creates a range of premium products, so that you and your family can fully immerse yourself in your given outdoor activity… plus a roundup of some of the best hikes, cycling trails and running trails to do with young kids.

November 18, 2019
Parenting Hub

Baby Christmas Toy Guide

With Christmas only a month away, we asked Chicco South Africa to put together a Toy Guide for Christmas. CHICCO FIRST DREAMS LULLABY SHEEP The best cot companion your newborn can ask for. In either pink or blue pastel plush, this multi-tech toy provides soft light from its tummy whilst soothing your baby with 20 minutes of classical music. Also has a voice recording facility for parents to place a message of love inside.  Retailers: Baby City, Babies R Us, Hamleys, Takealot, Lilliputs, Thekidzone, Loot and selected Kids Emporium stores. 2. CHICCO BABY SENSES VIBRATING MONKEY Suitable from 3 months, this awesome vibrating monkey provides a host of stimuli for your baby. Noises, textures and teething aspects make it the ideal motor skills tool and curiosity stimulator for your little one. Retailers: Selected Spar stores, Babies R Us, Hamleys, Takelot, Thekidzone, Loot and selected Kids Emporium stores. 3. CHICCO BABY SENSES STROLLER ROPE TOY Keep baby occupied whilst in their stroller with an engaging stroller rope toy fashioned in the shape of a giraffe. Includes fun activities to keep baby discovering new sensations whilst fitting onto all types of stroller bumper bars. Made from plush, the rope toy includes a mirror, soft ring, ball and butterfly that produces sounds. Retailers: Pick n Pay Hypers, selected Spar stores, Babies R Us, Hamleys, Takelot, Thekidzone, Loot and selected Kids Emporium stores. 4. CHICCO FIRST DREAMS BABY BEAR A gentle cuddly that will keep your child company at night whilst turning the nursery into a magical environment. Soft light projects stars from the belly of the teddy whilst 30 minutes of classical music will soothe the child to sleep. A soft plush toy available in pastel pink or blue, the outer of the bear is also machine washable. Retailers: Baby City, Babies R Us, Hamleys, Takealot, Thekidzone, Loot and selected Kids Emporium stores. 5. CHICCO BABY SENSES FINGER PUPPET One of the only finger puppets available on the market, the Baby Senses Finger Puppet allows parents to play alongside their child and interact and engage whilst watching their development. Each finger produces a different noise, squeak or rattle. And the small book attached to the palm teaches numbers and animals. A thoroughly fun  way to engage with your child. Retailers: Babies R Us, Takelot, Lilliputs, Thekidzone, Loot and selected Kids Emporium stores. 6. CHICCO BABY SENSES RAINBOW SPINNER The perfect toy to teach your child cause and effect. Based on the classical mechanical spinner toy, the Rainbow Spinner has a mirror inside that reflects the coloured balls that circulate when the flower on top is pressed. A great engaging toy for young, enquiring minds. Retailers: Selected Spar stores, Babies R Us, Lilliputs, Takelot, Thekidzone, Loot and selected Kids Emporium stores. 7. CHICCO MOVE & GROW HAPPY HIPPIE WALKER Encourage your child to take their first steps in safety and fun with an engaging walker.  With 4 solid wheels providing stability, baby can walk with the colourful, happy walker and enjoy the manual skills and entertainment on the activity bar. Retailers: Babies R Us, Lilliputs, Takealot, Thekidzone Loot and selected Kids Emporium stores. 8. CHICCO MOVE & GROW TUMMY TIME PILLOW The cushion for fun, safe tummy time play. Designed by Boppy, leaders in birthing pillows, the tummy-time pillow has memory foam and provides your child with a firm, yet soft support as they learn to play on their fronts. The cushion has manual activities to keep baby engaged such as a mirror, a fabric book, and rattle with small balls inside. Retailers: Takealot, Thekidzone, Loot and selected Kids Emporium stores. 9. CHICCO BABY SENSES FROG RATTLE The perfect first rattle to encourage your baby’s first discoveries of sound and colour. A bright green and pink frog that doubles as a handy teething ring, the Frog Rattle is perfect from 3 months upwards. Small balls inside the toy teach the child about sound and cause and effect. Retailers: Pick n Pay Hypers, selected Spar stores, Hamleys, Babies R Us, Takealot, Thekidzone, Loot and selected Kids Emporium stores. 10. CHICCO BABY SENSES CHRISTOPHER THE EXPLORER A cute character toy in the shape of animated binoculars, Christopher Explorer is battery driven and comes to life when the wheels are turned, shining bright lights and producing sounds. Great for motor skills and curiosity development. Retailers: Selected Spar stores, Babies R Us, Takealot, Thekidzone, Loot and selected Kids Emporium stores.

November 14, 2019
Parenting Hub

Discover the future of Safe Sleeping

Babies spend the greater part of their first 12 months sleeping up to 16 hours per day. It is therefore essential to protect your baby’s sleep space from unwanted bugs and insects.

November 7, 2019
Parenting Hub

Top tips for travelling with a stroller

Make travel days easier and still have the holidays you want with Thule Travelling with a baby or toddler can be overwhelming. The sheer amount of stuff you need just to get your bundle of joy from A to B seems never ending. You need to pack for every eventuality… and then some. Cot, clothes, bottles, blankets, car seat, stroller… the list goes on. Luckily, the latter doesn’t need to cause you any more headaches, if you stick to these top travelling tips from premium Swedish product maker, Thule. With over 75 years of product engineering, the focus for every item they make is on durability, reliability and ease of use – the trifecta you are looking for on both travel days and holidays.  Top things to consider when travelling with a stroller: 1.     Your travel needs Think about the type of travelling that you and your family will do over the next few years, as this has an impact on what kind of stroller will work best for you. Do you often travel to Europe (and beyond), so need to think about cobblestones and uneven terrain? Will you ever need a double stroller, to hold a slightly older child and a newborn, while you are sightseeing? Is exercise a non-negotiable on your priority list? What kind of pram would make your holiday (and everyday life) easier? Thule Sleek is a smart and stylish pram, which is ideal for active parents. Lightweight and easy to handle, it allows you to bring everything you need for a big day out, plus adjust as you go, as there are various combinations and configurations to suit your needs. Add a bassinet or a sibling seat to make it a double stroller or car seat stroller. Thule Sleek is easy to manoeuvre anywhere you go, thanks to its compact size, front wheels and lightweight construction. 2.     Size and weight When travelling with a baby, the idea is not to add awkward-to-carry, bulky luggage, but instead to keep all luggage stream-lined and space efficient. The best strollers for holidays (and everyday) are considerably lighter and a lot smaller than their heavier counterparts, so that your hands are kept free, plus small enough to store – whether it is in a car or in the plane.    A great option with travelling is the Thule Sleek Travel Bag that protects your stroller Compatible with the Thule Sleek, much like a bike bag, the padded bag protects your stroller from scratches and dirt during transport. It is custom fitted for maximum protection and includes a separate wheel bag to keep the pram clean, plus there are wheels for easy transport. 3.     Ease of folding and flexibility If you are flying or travelling solo, a stroller with an easy folding function is a must. Some of the best foldable strollers can quickly and easily be folded up using just one hand – incredibly convenient if you need to carry your baby with the other arm. An easy-to-fold stroller is particularly useful if you fly around the country often to visit family and friends, or if you are travelling overseas with lots of luggage – especially if you are the outdoor-adventure type who chooses their holiday destination based on trail runs and other sporting activities around a certain area. The Thule Chariot Sport 2 is small, slim, light and easy to fold – a lifesaver when travelling with other sporting gear.  It transitions from jogger mode to biker mode with just two additional pieces, which means that a ‘biking’ holiday (with a pram) in France or the Netherlands can still be ticked off your bucket list… even with a pram in tow. The Thule Chariot Sport 2 is the ultimate all-in-one trailer, jogger and stroller, made with athletes and their kids in mind, as it offers all-round comfort and performance. The extra comfortable fully padded seats are removeable and easy to clean. There are even removable windows and clips to increase ventilation, a rain cover, and a mutli-position sun cover, to deal with all types of weather that you might encounter on your travels. For more information about Thule’s products and stockists, please visit: https://www.thule.com/en/za

November 1, 2019
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