It was one of those chaotic mornings every parent knows too well. My five-year-old, dressed in her mismatched superhero outfit, was attempting to use glitter glue to “fix”…
As a parent, I know firsthand the challenges that come with a teething baby. The sleepless nights, the constant fussing, and the overwhelming desire to do anything to…
Picture this: it’s 2 a.m., and you’re wide awake, standing in your living room with a baby monitor in one hand and a half-eaten cookie in the other.…
When you notice your baby sleeping more and eating less, it’s natural to feel concerned. This article explores the possible reasons behind these changes in your baby’s habits…
Transitioning your toddler to sleep in their own bed can be a challenging yet rewarding process. It’s a significant milestone that not only represents your child’s growing independence…
Bringing a new little miracle into your life is like holding a whole galaxy in your arms. There’s so much joy, wonder, and of course, a whole spectrum…
You know those babies who seem to sprout teeth without even a whimper? Unfortunately, not every little one is so lucky! Teething can be a rough time –…
Starting a family is a great way to make a good night’s sleep a distant dream! Although expecting parents are fairly warned of their future sleepless nights, they…
Introducing solid foods to your baby is an exciting time! Every parent loves to see the expressions that come from baby tasting a new food. Some of them…
Breastfeeding is a beautiful but challenging journey that you embark on with your baby. It’s not always easy to achieve and it can be hard to find someone…
How is it possible to completely prepare a couple for the underground atomic implosion that usually occurs in a relationship post-baby? Let’s be frank about it — you…
All parents want to understand their baby, and I believe most parents encounter times when this can be an overwhelming task, especially in the first 3 to 4 months. Your…
Before having children I had no idea about the plethora of products that I would end up finding useful and toddler milk falls into that category. While toddler…
Around the world, caring for mothers after childbirth has traditionally been a matter of great importance. In many societies the practical knowledge of how to help mothers after…
Charlie can whistle now. He worked it out on his own, more or less. One day, quite by mistake, out came a toot tweet, and he giggled, Hey!…
Life Love Living Learning Without one there are none of the others. Our bodies, hearts and minds connect each of us to ourselves, others and the world through…
We’ve recently discovered that our baby hammock was the subject of a University of Auckland research project last year. The research looked at whether using the hammock might cause impaired…
The New Zealand Breastfeeding Authority (NZBA) is calling for stronger workplace policies for nursing mothers in a bid to improve national breastfeeding rates once mothers leave hospital.
You might have heard of the ‘heel prick’ test – also known as a ‘Guthrie’, ‘PKU’ or newborn metabolic test – where a small blood sample is taken…
Babies and children can catch diseases at any time. Immunisation is your child’s best protection against many serious but preventable diseases like whooping cough. This disease is still…
With all three of my children, we received stern letters from Births, Deaths and Marriages telling us that we needed to hurry up and register their births. And with…
Children’s Day – Te Rā O Te Tamariki – provides New Zealanders with an opportunity to give time to children. It is a fun day for activities that start…
Sometimes life throws us a curveball and it can be hard to know how to deal with it. In this series, we’ve been meeting some great kiwi families…
Over the next couple of months, we’ll be looking at how some great kiwi families celebrate and the first family is the McAllister family. I find large families…
So your baby is well and truly into the puree phase of eating, and soon it’s time to move onto chunks and whole foods…
Kiwi Families has a focus on pregnancy and babies at the moment, and we’ve been talking to some great kiwi families about their experiences. In this post we…
Kiwi Families has a focus on pregnancy and babies at the moment, and we’ve been talking to some more great kiwi families about their experiences. In this post,…
Rotavirus is a very infectious tummy bug that is extremely common in babies and young children and it can cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea and lead to hospitalisation.
Every new born is different; some cute and bald, others with a full head of adorable Elvis styled hair! Each is born with amazing abilities. You may think…
I work supporting teachers to comprehend and manage children who find school difficult to understand and work in. Of late, I have been working to assist teachers to…
Our story began in January 1972, when Glennie Oborn, a loving mum , opened her first early childhood centre in what was her family home in Auckland. Along…
Back in 2012, Arna Suttie made the decision to save her unborn baby’s stem cells. Whilst she hoped the cells would never be needed, she wanted to give…
How to get your 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 month old baby to sleep through the night is a hot topic of conversation for new…
Harlow was not a happy baby. She rarely smiled. Of the more than 150 babies I have looked after, she was the most uncomfortable I had ever met. …
It’s Allergy Awareness Week soon and we talk to a family where allergies are part of everyday life. Kiwi mum, Amanda, talks about living with allergies for 6 year old Amelia.
This month, I’m back on the topic of sleeping babies. Last month we looked at getting baby to sleep in the first few weeks after birth. But the…
When I announced we were expecting, nearly everyone warned me to, ‘get used to never sleeping again!’ My response to this sleep advice was, ‘I sleep poorly as…
There is a minefield of information about babies out there and the issue of sleep is no different. In this article we look at the first stage of…
As adults, we can make our own choices about whether it’s worth spending a little more on certain types of skincare, or whether we want to check ingredient…
In my role as a maternity nurse I often will be in contact with a baby at 48 hours old. The mums that I work with are in…
It’s probably fair to say that family is where most people lay down the foundations for all later interactions in their lives – one of those interactions being…
Why is it that some children love to write and draw and for others it’s a struggle to get them to even pick up a pencil? Encouraging your…
When a new baby comes into the home it can be a trying time for everyone – including siblings. Sometimes any uncertainty or uneasiness on the sibling’s part…
Sometimes it can be pretty difficult getting everyone into an activity when they’re at different ages and/or stages of development. So today we look at spending some school…
Making meal times easy for kids shouldn’t be so hard! This easy meals for kids article is packed full of tips for introducing kids to new foods, without…
There are some alarming reports on childhood obesity and the long-term impact it’s going to have on our kids’ lifespan, health and the nation’s wallet. It’s easy to…
Crying is your baby’s way of communicating. Their cry tells you “I need you”. Your baby will not be ‘spoilt’ if you attend to its cry, rather your…
All babies have their own unique and precious personality determined both by genetics and the environment they are born into. Because of this, children react differently to separation…
A new rule increasing the age of mandatory child restraint use is a positive step in the safety of kiwi kids, says Kelly Good, car safety technician based…
Painting can be a messy business but it’s also LOADS of fun and your baby will love getting their hands (and the rest of their body) mucky while…
In line with my holistic approach to babies, I am a firm believer in being led by the baby rather than a current way of thinking by any…
In my opinion growing great families comes down to communication and giving the small people space. From that comes trust, respect, a sense of being heard, being important…
In the past 7 months I feel as if a new world of choices (and anguish) has opened up for me. The choices that you have to make…
The journey of multiples is nothing short of amazing – smiles, snuggles and watching those beautiful personalities emerge – but let’s face it, it can be tough going.…
Driving home from a paediatrician appointment with Jasmine and Montana, her nine month old twin girls, Carmen was deep in shock and unable to process the brutal diagnosis…
This year Immunisation Week from April 23-29 is all about protecting your child by getting them immunised on time.
Cloth Nappy Week 2012 is upon us and I am about to embark on a journey, pink cape and all, around the country to promote the use of…
Cloth nappies are fabulous. They look super cute, come in amazing designs and are soooo much better for the environment. I’ve used them with both of my girls…
There’s nothing nicer than cuddling up with your kids and a book and sharing a great story together. I’m sure that all of you have had the experience…
Summer is almost upon us, and that means holidays and Christmas too… I do take a little comfort here in New Zealand that we don’t break out the…
One of the most important factors in preventing learning difficulties from developing in children is to ensure that from the moment of birth each child is free when…
For this month’s topic of Getting Active, I have decided to write about Getting Out and About… for those new parents who are anywhere from concerned to down…
You might not know that I spent 15 years living in London, but I did. London has amazing shopping and two big sales a year, July sales and…
This month’s topic of ‘Living Green’ has come at just the right time for me to share some awesome things I have come across in the last month…
One of the best things about being pregnant for the first time is going shopping for baby stuff. Cute little singlets and sleepsuits, a cot, toys and blankets…
I started my cake decorating career back with Bananas in Pyjamas for a little guy called Tom for his first birthday. Tom has now just celebrated his 15th…
Potty training can be a straightforward affair, or a tricky and complicated part of your child’s life – filling you with fear and dread.
Lots of us parents get to a stage where we’re not coping well, struggling to stay afloat, physically and emotionally. You may even feel at breaking point some days. It used…
Newborns come in all shapes and sizes… and they all have the same basic needs. Milk, burps, nappy changes, and sleep are the common ones. They also need…
In a recent workshop for RTLBs I discussed all of the different diagnosis which are given to children today with learning or behaviours difficulties. We now have ADHD,…
Most people make a decision, or not as the case may be, to become pregnant and begin the process of attempting conception. At this stage people often get…
As a new mum everything can seem overwhelming and strange. Your life pattern changes and you may adapt very quickly to these new and exciting challenges or for…
It’s now recommended to start babies on solids between 4 and 6 months. However, in conflict to our supermarket shelves adorned with baby-rice, baby-porridge and baby-muesli, science warns against…
Did you know some babies are born with teeth? My great-uncle was born with two! On the other hand, some infants don’t get their first teeth until after…
When heavily pregnant with your first baby, you can often begin to feel rather swamped with peoples’ remarks regarding the pending sleep deprivation which is going to beset…
There is usually an exhausting, painful grief a new mother goes through – no matter how good her pregnancy turned out to be, or how thrilling the birth…
These days, when we take on the role of motherhood, the majority of us sacrifice ‘fulfilling our own full potential’ in almost every other avenue of our lives.…
Happy New Year! Once again the media abounds with articles about sun and safety. A recent one began: “Parents warned about sun’s danger.” It began with a reminder…
Midwife Kathy Fray overviews the Breastfeeding vs. Infant Formula debate, including the costs & benefits of each for NZ Mums.
With all of the activity surrounding Real Nappy Week, it has caused me to think back to our “nappy days”, and all of the trauma and expense they…
I think my 14 year old son is very lucky. Lucky because he has just spent the first week of his school holidays with his Grandparents. Now, I…
Now for those of you whose minds have immediately plunged into the gutter, let me drag you back up by explaining my view on reproduction. I believe that…