Valentine’s sugar cookies

Valentine’s sugar cookies

Posted on by Rebecca

Incase you couldn’t tell my boys are a teeny bit obsessed with baking, what kid isn’t right ? They love mixing and rolling and cutting, and of course licking the bowl.

 

For the last few years we have made heart-shaped sugar cookies to give out to friends and teachers for valentine’s day.

There’s a lot of controversy around valentine’s and should we celebrate it, it’s just another excuse to suck in consumers, and yes, while that may be true, personally I adore the fact that there is actually a day to promote “love”. Not just love between a man and women, but love for all of those special people around us. There is so much anger and hate in the world; the fact that there is a day to bring awareness to love is just fantastic in my books. So I unashamedly celebrate valentine’s day, every single year.

Enough of the long story, here is my fail proof recipe for the perfect sugar cookie, thanks to my beautiful friend (and sugar cookie Goddess) Liezl.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks), approx. 227 grams unsalted butter

1 cup castor sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla

Sift the flour and salt

In a separate bowl cream together butter and sugar, add in the egg and vanilla.

Slowly mix in flour until the dough comes together.

Pull together in a bowl and chill in fridge

Set oven to 180 Degrees Celsius, roll out cookies and bake for 12 minutes

Icing

2 cups icing sugar, 3 tbsp. egg white, about 1 tbsp. warm water dependent on consistency. Beat on high.

OR, if you are low on time, head on over to Woolworths to buy their Royal Icing Mix.

 

Once the cookies have cooled pipe onto your cookies.

If there is one thing I despise in this world its icing sugar cookies, I honestly do not have the patience, or finesse to neatly do them. I would actually love to go on a course one of these days, but until then I let the boys do most of it with me. That way, I can blame the messiness on them ! 🙂

HAPPY VALENTINES WEEK !! Do you have any valentines traditions in your home?

 

Review – La Beaute on the Lake

Review – La Beaute on the Lake

Posted on by Rebecca

Set in an unassuming suburb in Parkview, on a leafy residential street lies a hidden gem in the aesthetics world.

I’ve been battling with my skin for the past few months, largely down to lack of water and sleep, and I reached out to people asking for recommendations. When 3 people all suggest the same place, in fact, the same therapist, you know that it must be something special.

Wanting more than just your “cut and paste” facial, I was eager to find a more personal Spa. I needed a professional who would analyse my skin and treat it appropriately, La Beaute on the Lake, did just that.

As soon as I found the right place (there is no sign outside), I stepped into a relaxed, tranquil environment with nothing but the sound of the huge oak trees rustling in the wind.

The rooms are comfortable and well presented, and the beauty therapists are warm, friendly and highly knowledgeable. Tebogo assessed my skin and recommended a combined treatment to target breakouts as well as a brightening complex. She recommended the DermaFix range for my skin. When I go for treatments I don’t like to talk, I can literally fall asleep during a wax! Spa time is my only time to just be, so I enjoyed the fact that Tebogo didn’t talk too much during the treatment. After a great cleanse and steam we moved through to the unavoidable extractions, which I made through without a tear. High frequency was done to promote circulation and prevent any more breakouts from occurring and the facial was finished off with two mask treatments, one of which is reusable and I got to bring home!

After my facial I was treated to a JelliSpa Pedi. I’ve heard a bit about this “JelliSpa” stuff being used in Pedi’s, but as most mums know, I haven’t had a chance to experience one for myself. Think thousands of jelly like balls (akin to tapioca) all working to hydrate your feet. What a treat! The mom in me popped up and I knew I had to try some sensory activities with the boys (see pic below).

Overall: I was pleasantly surprised. I lived in the area for years and never knew La Beaute on the Lake existed! It’s clean, comfortable and what gives in the star factor is certainly the dedicated therapists. Surprisingly, their pricing is not bad at all!

It offers treatments such as laser hair removal (next on my list along with the LED treatments), facials, microdermabrasion, and manis/pedis. They also offer a range of “non-surgical facelifts”, photo-rejuvenation and pigmentation treatments, and the latest rage, DermaPen needling systems. Products used include Matis, TheraVine, RegimA and DermaFix.

Beaute on the Lake:

26a Dundalk Ave, Parkview, Gauteng

011 646 2228

{WIN} Are Antenatal classes really worth it?

{WIN} Are Antenatal classes really worth it?

Posted on by Rebecca

Are antenatal classes really worth it?

Perhaps one of the most highly debated topics of pregnancy, should you spend the extra money attending antenatal classes? Most of us studied Biology and have googled enough information, surely a women’s body knows how to “Give birth”?

Here’s some of what I remember about my antenatal classes – I remember watching a video, filmed somewhere in the 80’s, showing a range of women breastfeeding. Seeing another woman’s enlarged nipple with milk coming out if it whilst you are 8 months pregnant really didn’t appeal to me. I remember watching birthing videos, seeing a baby entering the world through another women’s private paths did nothing to calm my already shattered nerves.

So would I recommend you attend them? Abso-freaking-lootley !

Here’s why:

Birth is the most natural process on earth and yet studies have shown that one in every four women describes giving birth as traumatic and up to 20% meet the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. It has also been shown that women who fear childbirth experience longer labours and were more likely to need an emergency caesarean.

That word, FEAR. FEAR of the unknown, FEAR of what your body can and can’t do. FEAR of horror stories from women around you.

Birth is completely unpredictable. It throws everything off course and everything you think you knew out of the window. Antenatal courses can never fully prepare you for the all-encompassing experience that is birth, nor will it ever prepare you for POST NATAL reality. Bringing your tiny baby home and experiencing the rollercoaster of emotions.

What attending a course WILL do however, is help eliminate that FEAR.

It gives you a chance to think about all your options. Taking you through all the possible scenarios and educating you on your possible choices.

I learnt that it is absolutely OK if your “birth plan” doesn’t go according to “plan”. I learnt about all of the possibilities I had when it came to drugs, as well as the side effects. I learnt that when baby feeds their lip should always form a C-shape, with the bottom lip visible and you should hear a gentle “csssshh” sound as they drink. I learnt that it’s not ok if you get cracked or broken nipples (despite the horrific video). It taught me about the different stages of the labour process and I knew that I didn’t necessarily have to “run” to the hospital the second my labour started.

More than that, It helped me realise that every mom to be in that room had different fears or worries. That all of the women there were in the same boat, uncertain of what might happen but confident in the love for their unborn child. I also learnt that it is invaluable for your partner to attend these classes. My husband did not read a single page of the books I had lovingly sourced for him, thanks to the antenatal classes he knew how to best support me (and when to shut up) during the labour processes.

Which leads me to the importance of Pregnancy Education Month.

A collaboration between The Childbirth Educators’ Professional Forum, Bio-Oil and various hospitals nationally, February’s Pregnancy Education Month, highlights how childbirth education empowers parents for a better birth experience. With the help of antenatal classes and the experience of one birth behind me, when my second child was born I was 1000 times more confident in what my body could handle.

Over 300 private hospitals and clinics around South Africa are running “Pregnancy Education Month” activities in February. For details, or to find a childbirth educator in your area, visit www.PregnancyEducation.co.za

Together with Bio-Oil I will be giving away 3 hampers, each worth over R300.

Here’s what’s included:

2 100% pure cotton dribble bibs

A soft grey Storage Pouch

A handy 25 ml Bio-oil, perfect for your hospital bag

Bio-Oil stretch mark guide, “Tips for Moms from Moms” and a baby scan album

To enter, simply complete your details in the Gleam Widget below

 

 

 

 

Win one of 3 Bio-Oil Hampers

Top 20 Child friendly Cafes and Restaurants in Johannesburg

Top 20 Child friendly Cafes and Restaurants in Johannesburg

Posted on by Rebecca

Its taken some time to compile this list, and many a weekend wanting to go for a lunch somewhere but wanting somewhere the boys can run and play. These are my favourite outdoor restaurants, with a play area for kids, if you are looking for more of a general list of things to do or places to go with kids in Joburg you can see my previous blog here .

Some obvious, a lot are hidden gems. Hopefully this list will make your weekends a little easier.

Top of the list we will get the most obvious out-of-the-way, the spurs and the pappachinos.

For me personally, the best two spurs in terms of play area’s for the kids are: Spur Morning Glen mall (Corner of Bowling and Rivonia) – The outside kiddie area here is lovely, with ships and aeroplanes. Grey Wolf Spur – Broadacres – Sadly both of these are not halaal, so we tend to take out kids there when we have waffles and Ice cream.

Pappachinos – Again my two personal favourites are Broadacres and Clearwater – I love the outdoor play areas for the kids and Broadacres even has a putt putt course and soccer nets.

Now for the hidden gems…

Northern Suburbs

Munch – Bryanston. There are 4 in the northern suburbs but the Bryanston branch is situated inside the Garden Shop it has a beautiful play area for kids and children can also take delight in the curious animals at the Reptile shop.

Buitengeluk – Broadacres. Set in a beautiful Cape Dutch landscape this remains one of my firm favourites in Johannesburg, with the most exquisite gardens with ponds and ducks it can also host weddings and various celebrations. Just around the back they have the most glorious play area for kids, complete with jumping castles and trampolines. You wont find a prettier place to sit admiring the gardens while your children happily play.

Ristretto – Morningside. Offers two play areas, one perfect for toddlers and a bigger kids area as well. The child minders are terrifically friendly and the pizza makes it all worth while.

The Green Garden café -The Purple Tulip . Broadacres – A haven for kids, this café is set inside a nursery and has attentive staff and a donkey cart for kids to ride on. A fun morning out whenever you choose to go.

River Café -Sandton. Closed on Mondays. One of my favourites set next to the Sandton Field and Study Centre. Endless amounts of grass for the kids to ride one of their many plastic motorbikes and the perfect patch of sand for a sand pit. It’s the perfect place to stop for a healthy breakfast after a walk in the park.

Gia’s on Montrose – Morningside. There is a jungle gym on site to keep the little ones occupied, beautiful gardens suited for any member of the family. Gia’s has been around for a while and is a firm favourite with residents in the area.

State 5 – Witkoppen road. The centre offers a wide variety for kids, with a great kids play area and lots of arts and crafts shops around it, I am never disappointed. The kids play area is better suited for younger children though.

The secret tea garden – Norscot Manor – The Secret Garden offers a quiet escape from the malls and roadside coffee shops. Beautiful manicured lawns and an impressive play park for the kids. Perfect for a Saturday or Sunday morning brunch.

The Oak Leaf Restaurant – Sandton. Set amongst large leafy trees the Oak Leaf offers a homely environment with a wonderful kiddies play area. Right in the middle of sSndton it’s a lovely escape with caring and attentive child minders.

Olive and Twist – Northriding. A great little Italian restaurant with a fantastic kids space. Children are looked after by child minders, they have a variety of educational things for the kids to do.

Johannesburg Central

Rustic café – Blairgowrie. Set in a sports ground, rustic café is not your typical sports club restaurant. It makes a mean coffee and has a perfect little jungle gym outside. If your kids are sports fans like mine it’s also the perfect place to sit back and watch a local game.

The Noisy Rooster – Rosebank. Bringing free range food right to our door step. The Noisy Rooster is set in an unassuming suburb in Rosebank. Kids can choose from a number of different jungle gyms and trampolines or choose to pet the rabbits or partake in one of their creative crafts, dress up days, or story time.

Bambanani – Melville. A bit like a pappachinos setting – Bambanani has more of a homely feel. With a fantastic ratio of child minders to child, they have a fantasy play corner, arts and crafts as well as the traditional soft play equipment.

Delta Café –Craighall Park. Closed on Mondays. A hidden gem inside Delta Park it’s a perfect spot to grab a light bit to eat while taking in the beauty of the park around you. Their friendly staff and cute little play area for the kids always bring people back in.

Johannesburg West

Tres Jolie – Ruimsig. The perfect place for some relaxation and fresh air. Sprawling gardens and pretty water features, this is definitely the place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Not only do they have a fantastic play area they also have the most perfect little farmyard where Kids can feed the animals or take a Camel ride.

256 on Smit – Fairlands. Friendly staff with a super little hairdresser and masseuse right next door this is also set in an unassuming suburb in Fairlands. The play area is cleverly designed in the middle so you can watch your little ones from pretty much anywhere. They also have an aviary and some bunnies.

iPlay – Randpark Ridge. iPlay Party Venue, Coffee shop, Toy Shop and Kiddies play area. Great child friendly restaurant with kids playground and sandpit.

 

Johannesburg East/ South

A Churrasqueira Alberton. Fantastic Portuguese restaurant in the south. They can get a little busy which can leave you calling for your waiter but the fantastic kids play area and the fact that kids can make their own pizza, make up for it.

Two Trees Bakery – Klipriversberg. Ive yet to come across a place with as much Jungle Gym equipment for kids as Two trees do. They have zip lines catering to both older and younger kids and brilliant big seat swings for the whole family to swing in. Kids can decorate gingerbread cookies as well.

Kiddilicious – Bedfordview. So much more than just a café. Kiddilicious offers a great little café, country-style play areas, a party venue as well as a mother and baby wellness clinic.

 

Do you have any other places you would recommend? Id love to hear from you and your suggestions or feedback. For a full list of places to go with activities for kids you can see my previous post here.

Cadbury’s chocolate popping candy cookies

Cadbury’s chocolate popping candy cookies

Posted on by Rebecca

I have a little obsession with the Marvellous Creations popping candy chocolate that Cadbury’s released a few years ago … so when I came across a cookie recipe that had the chocolate in I knew I had to give it a go. Choc chip cookies are another one of my downfalls, this recipe is really moving to the top of my ultimate soft cookie list.

It’s actually quite surprising that any of the actual chocolate made it into the cookie dough!

Ingredients

50g softened butter

100g muscovado sugar

1 egg

25g cocoa powder

125g all purpose flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

70g of chopped up Cadbury’s popping candy chocolate.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celcius .

Beat the butter and sugar together until soft and creamy, add in the egg and beat again until combined.

Add in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa, at this point mix in by hand so you don’t overbeat it.

Finally fold in the chocolate bits. Scoop up a heaped teaspoon of the cookie dough and roll it into a ball between you two hands (my kids did this).

Place the balls on a lined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes .

Try not to eat all of them at once, personally I like them a little warm still so the chocolate is gooey.

Enjoy!

Picky eaters – 6 hidden vegetable meals to put your mind at ease

Picky eaters – 6 hidden vegetable meals to put your mind at ease

Posted on by Rebecca

Lets talk about picky eaters, because I know, at some point it is something every single mum will experience.

Up until a couple of months ago I would have said my boys were pretty good eaters, in fact, I was confident that they were eating a good, balanced diet. Aadam loves his “mealies”, broccoli, raw carrots and peas, (He will not however, touch raw tomatoes, potatoes, butternut) and Yusuf eats pretty much EVERYTHING. Fast forward a few months and I find myself getting stuck in a rut and I feel like he’s surviving on bread, pasta, carrot sticks and cucumber. (partly due to my own laziness).

Lessons learnt

When Aadam started solids I pretty much pureed and mashed everything up for him for FAR FAR too long. I think it’s the first time mum syndrome, you are paranoid your child is not eating enough so you mash it up and make it easy for yourself to quickly feed them. Funnily enough, he used to eat a TON of mashed potato and butternut then (explains a lot now). With Yusuf however, at about 4 months old he grabbed a piece of wors (sausage) from my hand one day, and literally stuffed it in his mouth, our sign he was ready. With him I took more of a “baby led weaning” approach, pretty much letting him eat whatever he wanted as long as it was easy enough to hold and soft enough to dissolve. I do think that has made a huge difference in their eating habits, and if we were to have a third child I would definitely do that again.

I’ve noticed a definite difference as well with 2 things. By my kids picking the veggies themselves, they are more likely to eat them! I’ve learnt through this that Yusuf loves Celery and Aadam adores Aubergine ! Secondly, getting them involved in the cooking peaks their interest and they have more desire to taste the food they have created, so wherever you can, get them involved in the prep work. One of my boys favourite things to do is to peel corn and top and tail beans!

That being said, here are 6 of my favourite “hidden veggie” recipes, for all of those days/times I feel like my kids have not have a balanced diets and I need to be a bit sneakier :

  1. Chicken fried rice – This is my non brainer for a Sunday evening, especially if you have left over rice or chicken in the fridge. Sautee some diced onion in olive oil with some garlic until soft. Add in chicken, if its uncooked fry until lightly browned (I flavour mine with chicken spice, garlic and rustic herb and a pinch of paprika). Next, I add finely diced peppers (red and yellow) together with a cup of the good old McCain mixed veggies (peas, carrots and mealies) and soften down. Add in your rice and mix well. I push everything to the side and add in a beaten egg and scramble it in the same pan at this point and then incorporate into the rest of the pan. Finally I add in a bit of Soy Sauce and Tomato Sauce for the kids.
  2. Lasagna – Always a sure way to get Veggies into my kids. I finally dice up peppers, carrots and sometimes mushroom to add in mine
  3. Stews are a no brainer – I have to be careful here though, Aadam refuses to eat cooked carrots (beats me as he will eat a whole pack raw), so when I dish for him I have to mash the carrot up a little so it’s not as obvious
  4. Hidden Veggie Chicken + Rice – This is a one pot wonder and another one of my favourites. You can view the full recipe here , I have tried it out with diced up cauliflower and broccoli added in as well and it’s been fabulous
  5. Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce – I’ve always used Annabel Karmels’ recipe for this one and the whole family loves it! It includes peppers, carrots and courgettes.
  6. Ratatouille – Funnily enough – with all my kids quirks, they both LOVE ratatouille! I add pretty much whatever I have in the fridge but typically its aubergines, courgettes, tomatoes, onions and peppers. I serve it with Bulgur wheat, which we call “special rice”.

A lot of this I only have myself to blame, for example, I never thought to give them soup (though I love it), I left it too late and now they won’t touch it! Smoked Salmon/ Trout is another example, I sat in awe the other day watching a friend’s 1 year old happily munch away on smoked trout, if I tried to give it to my boys I’m sure they would throw it in my face! Again, my own fault, I never thought to give it to them.

Studies do show that if you put vegetables on your child’s plate every night, within a few months they will eat those vegetables, so it’s all about exposure and leading by example I guess. We will keep persisting.

What tips/ tricks do you have with your kids? I’d love to hear about your experiences with fussy eaters.

HICH SOUTH AFRICA – Instilling compassion and conservation in our children

HICH SOUTH AFRICA – Instilling compassion and conservation in our children

Posted on by Rebecca

We live in a country so blessed to still have wild animals roaming, largely free. We really don’t appreciate how amazing this is until you have lived oversea’s. I grew up in Botswana where conservation is high up on our priority list and I literally had elephants picking fruit from the tree’s in my parent’s backyard. As parents we need teach our children about the importance of animal conservation, this is our only planet.

I remember taking Aadam to the Zoo as a toddler and seeing to beautiful rhinos with their huge horns interlocked. I stood there for quite some time in awe of their beauty, but also sad at the thought of my child possibly never growing up to see a Rhino, with its beautiful horns in tact, roaming in the wild.

A few weeks ago I was approached about a clothing brand, HICH South Africa, that focused on animal wellness and conservation, naturally, I jumped at the chance to help spread the word. My boys are both animal mad, we spend half our day pretending to be some animal or another and they are instantly drawn to animals . Aadam pet his first cheetah before he was 2!

HICH South Africa’s online store launched on 15 December 2017. Each T-shirt holds a powerful message, from saving our rhinos to protecting pitbulls.

Founded by a mother-daughter partnership, HICH stands for – Humility, Integrity, Compassion, Hardwork – all values I wants my children to have and live.

Their designs are young and colourful with the main aim being to bring awareness to animal welfare. A portion of their profits go to various local and national animal shelters and wildlife organisations.

As I was browsing through the 8 designs, I immediately jumped at the “save our rhinos” design as this is a cause I am so passionate in. I also picked “Be Kind to animals” – you can truly tell the heart of a person by the way they treat their animals, and Aadam loves to hug and pet animals. I grew up on a farm, surrounded by animals and every chance I get I take my boys to farms to interact and learn how to care for animals. The range of slogans depicts current conservation issues, with choices such as “Adopt, don’t shop”, “#supportlocalanimalshelters”, “Be kind to animals” and “protectourwildlife”

The range starts from age 3 up to age 12 and the designs retail for R220 each. They are a loose fit and 100% pure cotton, beautifully soft and excellent quality. They make it so easy for us to give back and help us to raise awareness, not that we even needed another reason to shop. You can shop the designs here.

To follow HICH South Africa go to:

www.hichsouthafrica.co.za

OR visit their Instagram page , or Facebook page .

Thank you HICH South Africa for making a difference in our community. Aadam and Yusuf are proud to be HICH-ers !! Xx

Dear New Mummy – you are not alone

Dear New Mummy – you are not alone

Posted on by Rebecca

Dear New Mommy,

You are not alone… These first few weeks can seem so daunting. You thought you had read every book to prepare you for the arrival of your bundle of joy, you had attended every workshop. Yet you feel so unprepared and helpless at the thought of looking after this little human. Every single gurgle or grunt you question yourself, is she too hot/ is she too cold? Is he breathing? Why is he making that grunting sound? He’s not feeding enough, he’s feeding too long. He’s not sleeping long enough, or he’s sleeping too much. She is lethargic today… You know the feeling. You feel inadequate, this is not what you expected. You feel alone.

All of these thoughts and feelings you experience are helping you develop your intuition as a mother. No, it’s not something you are born with. It’s something you develop over time, by connecting with your baby. By getting to know them and their bodies, their reactions and movements. You may cry every time you hold him, unable to soothe his cramps or crying due to sheer exhaustion. IT’S OK Mama, hold your baby, all he needs is your love.

Days turn to nights, the world outside slips further and further away. You feel “stuck”, feeding, changing, sleeping, and burping. You finally get your sleeping bundle down and place her in her crib like she is a package of dynamite, carefully loosening your fingers when BOOM. The crying starts again. Lie down, sleep with her on your chest. Sleep together. The world can wait for now. All she needs if your love.

Dear mommy, it’s exhausting I know. The broken sleep, the crying, the fear of harming your child. You can’t quite see the end and you don’t know how other mothers have done it. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. The best advice I could ever give you is take each day as it comes, each day you make it through is another day of raising a strong, healthy child. One more tick through the calendar of life. Each day that breaks your baby is another day stronger, because of you.

You will grow and develop a relationship in your OWN way, you will discover your perfect style of parenting in your OWN time. You will become a heroine, nursing night fevers and numerous amount of sick up, you will survive the days on 3 hours of broken sleep. You will become the PERFECT mother to YOUR CHILD. Your child is like no other in the world. You will develop a network of “mummy’ friends, all walking the same exhausting routine together, you will connect and grow stronger.

So listen to others if you would like, compare with friends if you wish but always know that you are in charge of your own journey through motherhood.

When you are feeling alone, staring out the window as your feed your baby for the 9th time that day, know that you are not. We are walking beside you every step of the way. Reach out to other moms, there is a whole new beautiful world of connections to help you through.

There is no other mother like you, and YOU are PERFECT to them.

Dealing with Postpartum depression – In Men

Dealing with Postpartum depression – In Men

Posted on by Rebecca

Postpartum depression is a term that’s commonly heard, new mums are taught to be on the lookout for postpartum depression in themselves, but what about fathers? The journey into fatherhood doesn’t always come easily to men. Recent studies out of Europe show that up to 20% of all fathers experience some form of post natal depression. The reality is that postnatal depression in fathers is real.

What exactly have they got to be depressed about? They don’t go through pregnancy or the process of childbirth. Their hormones don’t suddenly open up and crash around them. They don’t have another being physically draining energy out of them. What affects them?

Dads go through similar emotional and mental rollercoasters as a mother does. Their world has been shifted upside down and they often struggle with a connection to the new baby. The focus of attention is typically on the newborn baby and mum, and as a man, you may feel that your needs are overlooked, as a father, you may not be sure of what exactly your role is, or how you fit in. Parenthood also brings new responsibility, for men an added “pressure” to “provide” for his family. Feelings of anxiety, exhaustion and stress.

Typically men expect that “paternal pride” to kick in immediately, but for some this doesn’t happen. If a mother breastfeeds her child it can be seen as an instant connection, she is providing and nurturing her child, fathers may feel left out. Mother and baby are seen as one and fathers are often on the side-lines. I know when my boys were younger and I was feeding them, I know my husband often felt “left out”, he felt he couldn’t “provide” for them and they didn’t “need” him. If they cried at night, he could not soothe them.

Everyone asks, “How is mum doing”, what about dad?

There is also strong correlation to show that is a mother is affected by post partum depression, typically the father is more prone to it as well. Some men do have tell-tale signs of depression, such as sadness, while others may display more aggression, agitation or even become detached. A lot of men start to work longer hours, at work they still feel powerful and needed.

 

If you feel you/ your partner may be experiencing some form of depression after baby, here are a few tips to include him more:

Try to get dad involved in nappy changing/ bath time more. Bath time could be their special bonding time.

If you are breastfeeding, after feeding hand baba over to dad for the burping and to finally put baby down to sleep. There was a period in time when my firstborn would only fall asleep in daddy’s arms hearing the Qu’ran being recited in his ear.

Express a bottle every now and again for daddy to feed.

If baby wakes at night try to get dad involved, even if it’s just passing the baby over to you (though this is easier said then done 🙂 ).

Encourage dad to exercise, release all that good energy!

If you feel the shift in your partner’s personality is big enough, suggest they speak to a 3rd party/ counsellor to seek treatment.

Postpartum depression is becoming more talked about and is not an uncommon thing anymore. Parenting is a life-changing experience; one that no-one is really prepared for. Our predictable, familiar comfort zone is thrown out of the window and our whole world spins. Try to keep the communication lines open, in most cases, you are there to support each other and life each other up. From a lot of the research done, postpartum depression in dad’s can clear after 4-6 months, once baby starts to become more alert or interactive and starts to recognise faces. As a mother, support your partner and try to encourage him as much as possible. Shower him in praise at his parenting skills and let him know that you couldn’t do it without him. Let him feel needed.

5 toddler friendly Science experiements

5 toddler friendly Science experiements

Posted on by Rebecca

So I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of a “Pintrest” mum, I could spend hours trawling the internet looking for the next fun thing to do with the boys. With it being “holiday season” with various mid year breaks coming up its perfect timing to get some new ideas on how to spend time with your kids. Continue reading “5 toddler friendly Science experiements” →