Advice from the experts
Parenting Hub

Sun cream for kids with sensitive skin! The lowdown on keeping your little ones safe in the sun

Covering a wriggling child in sun cream is tricky enough, but when your little one has sensitive skin it can be even trickier– you don’t want to use anything that’s going to irritate. That’s why Childs Farm sun protection products don’t containparabens, SLSs, mineral oils, artificial colours or anything that might make sensitive skin flare up. Plus if you have a super-wriggler on your hands, our spray and roll-on sun lotions make everything easier.

Parenting Hub

The importance of constructive play in early childhood development

Not only is constructive play fun and entertaining for children, offering them endless hours of creative play. It has great benefits to early childhood development. Constructive play can start from a young age and as the child’s confidence grows, more blocks and shapes can be added.

Prima Baby

V-Tech Baby Sleepy Glow Bear

V-Tech Baby Sleepy Glow Bear is a 25cm plush bear with a soft glowing tummy that provides the ultimate comfort to your little one during nap time. With advanced tech features, Sleepy Glow Bear introduces loving phrases and plays melodies and sing-along songs. There is also a nature sounds button that helps children learn the sounds of the natural world they live in. Timer plays up to 30 minutes of music.  Over 70 songs, melodies and phrases are available in this one-of-a-kind toy. With an automatic shut off, baby won’t waste batteries if they fall asleep during play. All V-Tech Baby toys are available at Babies R Us, Takealot, Loot, The Kid Zone and selected Kids Emporium stores.

Parenting Hub

Meet the Thule Urban Glide 2 Double

Do you have a growing family and love an active lifestyle? Then the new Thule Urban Glide 2 Double needs to be the new member of your family. This all terrain stroller with a sleek, lightweight design is perfect for active familes who enjoy the great outdoors, as well as getting around town.

Prima Baby

V-Tech Baby Little Friendlies Magical Discovery Mirror

Learn and discover with the V-Tech Baby Little Friendlies Magical Discovery Mirror.  Press the star button to magically see a lion and monkey appear on the mirror – almost like a TV. Enjoy music and nature sounds as well as expressions and songs while developing motor skills with the hanging star, butterfly and roller ball. An all-round engaging and fun experience from newborn upwards.  Hangs on the side of cot or can be held by baby during playtime. With an automatic shut off, baby won’t waste batteries if they fall asleep during play. All V-Tech Baby toys are available at Babies R Us, Takealot, Loot, The Kid Zone and selected Kids Emporium stores.

Good Night Baby

EARLY WAKE-UPS

You reluctantly open your eyes. It’s still dark outside, but something very familiar called you out of dreamland – it’s your little one’s voice calling for his Mommy. You glance over at the clock just to realize that, yet again, your child has woken up way too early for you to start your day.

Parenting Hub

Head lice – they’re not inside they’re on top!

Moms love it when their little ones come home from school buzzing with knowledge. Sometimes though, the activity isn’t inside their heads but on top! Head lice populations rise in summer, and girls with longer hair pick them up easier than boys.

Parenting Hub

The Best Gear for Family Picnics

The weather is getting warmer and it’s time to get outdoors.  One of the most exciting outings is to gather the family for a picnic. You can picnic in your own garden or venture to some of the great picnic spots around South Africa.  Here are some tips to have a fuss free picnic: 1. Pack light Make sure you pack smart and light. You never know how far you are going to need to walk to find the perfect spot. Picnic Baskets are great but can be clumsy if you are balancing a toddler on your hip as well. Backpacks make the best picnic bags. Don’t forget a good lightweight foldable picnic blanket try not weigh yourself down with heavy blankets that get damp and dirty.  2. Stay Hydrated  Keep a bottle of frozen water in your bag in summer, this will slowly melt and keep the water cold. For something sweeter for the kids the new Miracle 360° Fruit infuser cup from Munchkin makes for a healthy choice. Add your child’s favourite fruit like strawberries, oranges, or blueberries into the fruit basket, twist it into the bottom, then fill the cup with water. The twist-on fruit extractor breaks up the fruit allowing it to infuse into the water and make a fun flavourful drink! Bye, bye juice and unhealthy cooldrinks! Hello, healthy flavoured water! Plus, your kids stay hydrated and clean (or at least cleaner!) while playing at parks and scenic areas. 3. Keep the hunger at bay When packing for a picnic, it seems like there are never enough bowls to accommodate all the different snacks everyone wants.  Once again Munchkin have an answer Munchkin Love-a-Bowl comes in a set of four bowls with interchangeable lids, these come in handy when your little ones have not finished all the snacks and want to eat later. With all the tossing around in your picnic bag the lids need to be leak proof. Munchkin Love-a-Bowl are 100% guaranteed to be spill proof, leak proof and break- proof. Now that’s the kind of bowl I need on a picnic. 4. Keep the Insects away Flies and bees can be a pest on a picnic! Our top tip for this is take along your Camp Cot Mozzi net. It can come in handy if baby falls asleep in a pram or for just keeping those bugs off the food. 5. Snacks on the go If your kids enjoy food on the run, consider the Munchkin Deluxe Snack Catcher. It is designed to keep up with your toddler’s active lifestyle. This cleaver little bowl teaches self-feeding with a bit more dexterity and a lot less mess. It’s a multitasking bowl with soft flaps that are gentle enough for fingers to get through but sturdy enough to keep messes at bay (and insects out.) 6. No Stress  Picnics with kids need not be a challenge so stick to what you know your kids like to eat and drink and don’t forget something special for Mom and Dad Picnics can be a cost-effective outing, so go out and enjoy a bonding time with your family. Don’t forget to enter the picnic hamper competition on the competition page. Thank you to Munchkin for generously donating our favourite products for the prize. 

Good Night Baby

WHY DAYTIME SLEEP IS IMPORTANT AND WAYS TO IMPROVE IT

The smaller your baby, the more sleep he or she would need during the day and it is suggested that newborns should for between 6 and 9 hours per day. As your baby grows older, the need for daytime sleep gradually becomes less and it is only at the age of 2.5 years that a select few toddlers are ready to drop their daytime sleep (and even then, some quiet time is recommended). Naturally, children differ, and some toddlers may even have to take naps until they are 5 years old.

Parenting Hub

The importance of music in preschool

Music has been made and enjoyed throughout history, it is a powerful and effective way to spread a message, tell a story or express your feelings.

Good Night Baby

ADJUSTING TO LIFE WITH TWO CHILDREN

The moment I found out I was pregnant with my second child I was in tears. These were tears of a combination of emotions: joy, happiness, fulfilment and panic. My husband and I always wanted two children, but we didn’t expect them to be 18 months apart. I knew it was going to be tough and that nothing can fully prepare you for a new human in your life, but being thrown into the deep end, for me, was the best preparation.

Parenting Hub

Teaching our children to have an attitude of gratitude

Have you noticed that we may be bringing up a generation of young people who feel so entitled to gifts, devices and whatever they desire, that gratitude is becoming a lost art? How often do you feel uncomfortable in choosing gifts for yours or other’s children because you know that the more affordable, ‘little’ things may result in a forced ‘thank-you’, or worse, a temper tantrum?

Parenting Hub

HAPPY FAMILY ORGANICS – CHANGING LIVES AND THE WORLD, ONE MEAL AT A TIME

Happy Family Organics, makers of ready-to-eat, nutritious and delicious organic meals, is not only changing the way babies and children are nourished in South Africa and around the world, but they are also changing the lives of young orphans in Tanzania through their Happy Family Children’s Village (HFCV).

Parenting Hub

The 5 best gifts that you can give your children, and they do not cost a cent!

parents have come to (unconsciously) rely on the buying of material gifts to let their children know that they love them while not fully understanding the negative implications of these well-meaning gestures.” She adds that joy in receiving material gifts and especially if the gifts are guilt-driven is most often short-lived and children are all too frequently left feeling confused, alone, miserable and frustrated and, in some cases, even a bit depressed. You see, it is not the receiving of many material gifts that they seek!

Good Night Baby

BREASTFEEDING AND SLEEP

Often breastfeeding and sleep are thought to be part of two different worlds. Many people will tell you that your child won’t be able to sleep through the night until you stop breastfeeding. Tell that to my daughter who was breastfed until she was 12 months old, and slept through from when she was 4 months old!

Parenting Hub

Inspiring a Love of Reading in Pre-Schoolers

To be a strong reader has multiple benefits for your child. One of the most important things parents can do to ready their pre-schoolers for their academic careers, is to encourage a love for reading and stories. Proficient readers cope better at school, even in this digital age. In a recent household survey by Statistics SA (http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=1854&PPN=P0318 Page 10), it was found that a third of South African parents have not told stories to their children and that 50% have never read a book to their children. Those little ones that have missed out and are at a distinct disadvantage when starting their school careers.

Prima Baby

BABY SENSES MULTI-CLOTHS

Multi-cloth toys are a great way to get a very young child using their sensory skills. A soft, easy-to-hold cloth with different textures, colours and shapes attached, they are available in 3 adorable characters – Molly Cuddly Turtle, Arthur Funny Dino and Daisy Cuddly Butterfly. All unisex and completely safe for even the youngest of children, Chicco’s Baby Senses multi-cloths are available across South Africa now at Takealot, Babies R Us, Loot, Kids Emporium and selected Pick and Pays.

Impaq

Will your preschooler cope with the demands of school?

When your child turns 6 it usually means that it’s their last year in preschool. In a year, your child will need to start primary school, but how do you know that your child will cope with the formal demands of school? Or be able to function to his/her full potential? As a parent, you may have lots of questions about this new phase in your child’s life. You would want to know that your child is ready to start their learning journey. If your child is not ready, it could influence his/her academic performance.

Prima Baby

BABY SENSES ANIMAL THEATRE AND FINGER PUPPET

Chicco’s Baby Senses range of toy is a developmentally engaging range of colourful toys that range from simple multi-cloths to rattles, teethers, puzzles and much, much more. All designed with early development in mind, the range is bright and stimulating and offers a toy for every stage of your child’s first year.

Skidz

What should my toddler be doing during the day?

PLAY! This may seem obvious, but it is essential to a child’s development. Sometimes we focus so much on what we should or shouldn’t be doing and look at everything as work, but play is a child’s work. This is how they explore their world. Play teaches them important physical skills such as coordination, balance and muscle control. These set the foundation for more complicated physical skills such as kicking a ball while running, skipping and doing cartwheels. Again these may seem like trivial skills but they are essential to a child’s development and set the stage for academic success.

Prima Baby

BABY SENSES VIBRATING MONKEY RATTLE AND GIRAFFE RATTLE

Baby Senses Vibrating Monkey Rattle and Giraffe Rattle are two of the cutest and most entertaining baby rattles on the market right now. Baby Senses is a developmental range of colourful toys that engage and stimulate children from as young as three months and the two rattles are both engaging with features such as teething rings, crinkly textures and a vibration on the Vibrating Monkeys leg. Soft enough to even cuddle, the two rattles are ideal to stimulate curiosity and bright enough to engage baby’s vision.

Parenting Hub

Don’t forget to have FUN!

Sometimes. Moms and Dads get so bogged down with the routines of the day that they forget to have fun with their children.

Toptots Head Office

Toptots Slippers

Winter is coming and those little feet need to be kept warm.  Our toddler slippers are made from cotton denim with a soft polar fleece inner lining to keep little feet toasty warm.  All our slippers have grip soles to keep your little one safe when running around. Available in an array of sizes

Prima Baby

YOUNIVERSE (Group 1/2/3 (9-36kgs) ever-growing car seat

Youniverse is the cars eat that starts at 9kgs and follows your child up to 36kgs – that’s almost 12 years of age! With car seat laws becoming stricter all the time, young or light children need the protection that only a solid shell can give against impact. The Youniverse is a sturdy, ever-growing car seat that can be adjusted with every inch of your child’s growth. Reclining with simple movements, comfortable with extra padding and Italian style and quality make it a favourite amongst parents globally. Installed with Isofix and seat belts.

Parenting Hub

Tips for Travelling with Your Toddler

My husband and I travelled with our two-year-old on a long-haul flight to London. Having bought a seat for our restless bundle of energy was, in our case, the best thing ever. Eleven hours plus on our laps would have been too much to handle. We very quickly learnt what to do and what NOT to do.

Scroll to Top