Surely there is nothing cuter than a two year old at their cutest. Still compact and chubby, all toothy and smiley, lisping and swapping v's for b's, saying something totally sweet and random. There is nothing more heartwarming and satisfying than watching your own (almost) two-year-old being adorable.
Conversely, there is surely nothing more infuriating, exasperating and downright frightening than a two year old in the full throes of a tantrum. Particularly your own (almost) two-year-old, who somehow has the power to make your heart beat outside of your chest and your hair stand on end, sprouting a few greys like you see in animations. I'm shuddering just thinking about it.
My Mum said a couple of weeks ago that she thinks my daughter went through the terrible twos at 14 months old. This is because she went through a particularly bad patch of behaviour around then but improved greatly more recently. Well, I'm going to have to break it to Mum that that period was NOT in fact the terrible twos. We have entered a much darker age, an age much nearer to two, that is fraught with many more obstacles and MUCH louder screaming that I do believe to be the fateful aforementioned "phase".
Now it must be known that I JEST, somewhat. Of course it isn't all bad and please see above - two year olds are viciously cute. Mine included. But seriously, they are hardcore. They can be terrifying, sometimes multiple times in one day. They can make you wonder if you are in the real life version of Damien.
I think the main difficulty is how completely IRRATIONAL their behaviour seems (and is) at times. How the smallest things can cause a complete meltdown. Doing my research into this happy phase, I've found that this is actually because toddlers of this age have the ability to think that something is very important and pressing, but no concept of "others," and therefore no idea that we wouldn't find the issue equally as pertinent. Which makes you feel kind of sorry for them, really.
Recently, while dealing with these fun new behaviours, J and I discovered the Australian Government's parenting website, raisingchildren.net.au. It's actually a great resource, with lots of articles, tips, advice and even videos with examples of different techniques and reassuring footage of other kids behaving just the way yours does! A lot of the advice is fairly common sense, but it's a great reminder when things are becoming a bit too much.
I'm attending a parenting workshop with some fellow mums from my Mother's Group in a few weeks time, and I will definitely share my insights with you all. I can't wait to ask questions specific to my child, and get some fresh ideas on approaches to take and technique's to use.
Meanwhile, here are a few examples of terrible two behaviour we have dealt with this week, that I can laugh about in retrospect!:
- H finding a pair of my underwear in the dirty clothing basket, putting them on and calling them "Princess Undies". When I realised they weren't washed I made her take them off and then had to go through my entire underwear drawer to the sound of her screaming "PRINCESS UNDIEEEEES!" until I found another pair to her liking.
- H refusing to get dress until I found a top with a sequined pocket that she called "Princess Top" - "PRINCESS TOP ON!" Sadly she didn't understand the concept of a pocket and thought the top was broken, which caused her to throw herself around the living room screaming "FIX IIIIIIT!" for about 15 minutes.
- Clearly not a fan of broken things, H found her butterfly wand in the carseat only to discover it was actually broken, and scream "FIX IIIIIIIIIT!" for the duration of the car trip.
- Screaming "MORE!" whenever something she was enjoying finishes, until she either a) Gets more or b) Hurts herself through tantruming, whichever comes first.
- Another amusing but not tanrum-y development is the consistent use of the phrase "No thanks!", which is used in response to just about everything including Brush Your Teeth, Time For Bed, Let's Have a Shower, Put Your Shoes On and even I'm Going to Read You a Story - "NO THANKS!"
- H looking at me, raising her hand and saying "NOT!" when I start speaking and she's not interested.......
- This week's Damien moment was when H pushed me (hard!) and I asked her to say sorry, which she refused to do. This escalated into a tantrum and at the end I hugged her and said "Well, you pushed me." I swear she looked me right in the eye, SMILED and said "Yeah!". Sweet child.
Lucky they're cute.
Z x
Friday, June 28, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
The World's Worst Hangover. In the History of Hangovers. Ever.
You may be aware that Friday was a trying day, particularly if you read my last blog post, which was all about how trying the day was. I was feeling pretty deflated by the end of the day and was tossing up whether or not to head to our usual Friday night pub dinner.
A girlfriend messaged me urging me to come with them, and have a drink to wash away the cares of the day. I spoke to J on the phone who agreed that yeah, we should head out and not let our difficult days get to us. Cool.
So, we went and met up with our friends and their toddler, the gorgeous Mr L. The kids were pretty good to begin with but H hadn't had her best day and soon enough started getting pretty ratty. Then the million decibel shrieking started (this is a new thing - whenever she doesn't get her way she shrieks, at the top of her lungs, without breathing, which is about as effective as it sounds (very)). J decided to take her outside for a play, at which point I sculled my remaining second glass of red.
A minute later, the familiar screaming of my own child was approaching. Poor H had had a massive stack and was bleeding from the mouth, like, a LOT. She had chipped her front tooth. Her beautiful tooth...her beautiful face...well, I still can't go there. I'll devote another post to that. This is about my hangover.
Anyway, you can see where this is headed. As the dinner wrapped up and the boys packed the kids into the cars, I turned to my lovely friend S in desperation.
"Do you want to stay for one more drink?"
She JUMPED at the chance, which I later found out was because she, too, had been having a tough few weeks. There was just TOO MUCH to talk about. And the staff at this particular pub offer table service, so every time they cleared away our glasses it was a case of "Two more, please".
Now, I have no idea how much we drank. All I know is I BOUGHT two CIGARETTES off a German chef before we bounded happily towards home, and someone (I'm looking at you Miss S!) suggested stopping off at ANOTHER pub for a CHAMPAGNE?! I have to be totally clear, I NEVER binge drink these days and I certainly never have a champagne after god knows how many glasses of wine. This was a bad, BAD decision.
I know we had that champagne but I remember nothing else. I know nothing of getting home, only what my sister, who I apparently called five times, has relayed to me of our conversations. I know we got a cab, when we were a few hundred metres from our respective houses. I know my husband has videoed me having a particularly ridiculous conversation with him that I can't recall. And I know how I felt the next day.
BLOODY RUBBISH.
I have never, NEVER, had a hangover that bad. I literally could not get out of bed, until about 1pm. This is so unlike me. I'm usually up at seven and ready for a cooked breakfast. I couldn't EAT. I couldn't ROLL OVER because it felt like fifty gnomes were aiming ice picks at my brain. I couldn't drink. I couldn't hear the words "eat" or "drink" without dry reaching.
At midday I received a text from S. "Feel like I'm dying."
Replied, "Never felt this bad."
She replid, "Can't stop vomiting."
Were our drinks spiked?! What went wrong? We were having so much fun! I am a seasoned drinker of old - have I lost it? It's certainly been a loooong time since I drank that much, but I thought I could handle it.
One thing we can both agree on is NEVER AGAIN. Funnily enough I have babysitters lined up for the next two weekends (woohoo!) for my best mate and then my own birthday celebrations. I'm considering DRIVING to my friend's birthday (unheard of!) and will stop at three or four at my own, I swear. I have learnt a hard lesson. I promised the God I'm not sure if I believe in that if I got through Saturday I would NEVER do this to myself again and I swear, I won't. I SWEAR!!!!!
Until I do.
What's the worst hangover you ever had? Did it put you off for a loooooooong time?
Z xx
A girlfriend messaged me urging me to come with them, and have a drink to wash away the cares of the day. I spoke to J on the phone who agreed that yeah, we should head out and not let our difficult days get to us. Cool.
So, we went and met up with our friends and their toddler, the gorgeous Mr L. The kids were pretty good to begin with but H hadn't had her best day and soon enough started getting pretty ratty. Then the million decibel shrieking started (this is a new thing - whenever she doesn't get her way she shrieks, at the top of her lungs, without breathing, which is about as effective as it sounds (very)). J decided to take her outside for a play, at which point I sculled my remaining second glass of red.
A minute later, the familiar screaming of my own child was approaching. Poor H had had a massive stack and was bleeding from the mouth, like, a LOT. She had chipped her front tooth. Her beautiful tooth...her beautiful face...well, I still can't go there. I'll devote another post to that. This is about my hangover.
Anyway, you can see where this is headed. As the dinner wrapped up and the boys packed the kids into the cars, I turned to my lovely friend S in desperation.
"Do you want to stay for one more drink?"
She JUMPED at the chance, which I later found out was because she, too, had been having a tough few weeks. There was just TOO MUCH to talk about. And the staff at this particular pub offer table service, so every time they cleared away our glasses it was a case of "Two more, please".
Now, I have no idea how much we drank. All I know is I BOUGHT two CIGARETTES off a German chef before we bounded happily towards home, and someone (I'm looking at you Miss S!) suggested stopping off at ANOTHER pub for a CHAMPAGNE?! I have to be totally clear, I NEVER binge drink these days and I certainly never have a champagne after god knows how many glasses of wine. This was a bad, BAD decision.
I know we had that champagne but I remember nothing else. I know nothing of getting home, only what my sister, who I apparently called five times, has relayed to me of our conversations. I know we got a cab, when we were a few hundred metres from our respective houses. I know my husband has videoed me having a particularly ridiculous conversation with him that I can't recall. And I know how I felt the next day.
BLOODY RUBBISH.
I have never, NEVER, had a hangover that bad. I literally could not get out of bed, until about 1pm. This is so unlike me. I'm usually up at seven and ready for a cooked breakfast. I couldn't EAT. I couldn't ROLL OVER because it felt like fifty gnomes were aiming ice picks at my brain. I couldn't drink. I couldn't hear the words "eat" or "drink" without dry reaching.
At midday I received a text from S. "Feel like I'm dying."
Replied, "Never felt this bad."
She replid, "Can't stop vomiting."
Were our drinks spiked?! What went wrong? We were having so much fun! I am a seasoned drinker of old - have I lost it? It's certainly been a loooong time since I drank that much, but I thought I could handle it.
One thing we can both agree on is NEVER AGAIN. Funnily enough I have babysitters lined up for the next two weekends (woohoo!) for my best mate and then my own birthday celebrations. I'm considering DRIVING to my friend's birthday (unheard of!) and will stop at three or four at my own, I swear. I have learnt a hard lesson. I promised the God I'm not sure if I believe in that if I got through Saturday I would NEVER do this to myself again and I swear, I won't. I SWEAR!!!!!
Until I do.
What's the worst hangover you ever had? Did it put you off for a loooooooong time?
Z xx
Friday, June 21, 2013
Mummy Feels Sad
Today has been interesting, to say the least. I woke up this morning before anyone else, had a shower and got ready for the day. I was feeling really organised and happy, singing and laughing as everyone else woke up and I got breakfast ready. Doesn't this just set the scene for imminent stress?!
Miss H woke up in a great mood too, but as soon as we got to music class she just was not having it. Who knows why? Maybe someone looked at her the wrong way, but given her behaviour later in the day I'm guessing she was having a bad day and just not in the mood. Anyway, she was being her usual CHARMING grumpy self, which is not very nice at all, and I was dealing with it as best I could by intervening and saying sorry and giving "time outs with Mum" and all that happy stuff.
Next thing I'm briefly engaged in conversation when Swiper, No Swiping Mother strikes again! She grabs H's arm, gets right up in her grill, points a finger in her face and says "NO!", loud and firm, three times.
Let's be clear, I know my child isn't perfect. I blogged about it recently and I'm even aware that hey, she is probably less perfect than other kids when it comes to lashing out - it's something in her personality that she will need to learn to control with age. She wears her heart firmly on her sleeve. She is just as likely to run up and plant a kiss on another child's lips as she is to run up and hit them in the face. Which, unfortunately, is pretty likely.
Still, I can't be crazy in thinking that NO mother has the right to touch or raise their voice to my child while I am right there, or just in general. Ever. I also can't fight the visceral reaction I had, which was to feel incredibly protective and upset on my daughter's behalf.
My reaction was to say nothing, despite at least three other mothers looking at me with raised eyebrows and bulging eyeballs. I couldn't risk getting upset and saying something silly. I just pulled H aside and onto my lap, whispering "You must be nice to your friends, have some time out with Mum," but also planting a big kiss on her forehead. I can't imagine it's nice to have a stranger raise their voice at you.
Unfortunately, H's reaction was to become upset, refuse to participate in any other activities, walk over to another little boy and HEADBUTT him. I was MORTIFIED. Completely mortified. So was this boy's mother.
Okay, I'm not going to go over-the-top in defense of my child who was clearly in the wrong but I will say two things. Number one, she is not even two. Not even two years old. Number two, other people interfering does NOT help matters. It makes them worse in many ways.
I am ALL FOR other parents stepping in when situations are getting out of hand or children are behaving badly. But if it's not your child, you tread carefully, no? I have frequently been in situations where it is MY child being bullied, and I usually say something like "We don't hit our friends, guys." Not "NO, NO, NO!" with a friendly grab of the wrist.
Anyway, I made her say sorry to the little boy and we promptly packed up and left. I couldn't deal. Plus, I guess it was a form of punishment, although personally I think she couldn't wait to get out of there.
AAAAAAAAAH it feels nice to get this off my chest. My girlfriend has recommended confronting Swiper No Swiping woman next week but ultimately I just don't think it's worth it. It's the last week of term, we are moving up into the two year old group and hopefully H will be able to pick on kids or own size - or better yet, they'll give her a taste of her own medicine here and there. It can't hurt!
Meanwhile, we had a huge tantrum when we got home which resulted in a head-vs-concrete situation, and H is now sporting a big purple egg on her head. She was so distraught in the wake of the accident that I ended up in tears myself, which put HER tears to an immediate stop - it made me realise that the daycare centre's advice to say "Mummy feels sad" when things get out of control will probably come in very handy.
So, Mummy does feel a bit sad today. But it's Friday, Daddy is home soon, the Wiggles are on, and let's face it - I have lots to be happy about.
Z x
Miss H woke up in a great mood too, but as soon as we got to music class she just was not having it. Who knows why? Maybe someone looked at her the wrong way, but given her behaviour later in the day I'm guessing she was having a bad day and just not in the mood. Anyway, she was being her usual CHARMING grumpy self, which is not very nice at all, and I was dealing with it as best I could by intervening and saying sorry and giving "time outs with Mum" and all that happy stuff.
Next thing I'm briefly engaged in conversation when Swiper, No Swiping Mother strikes again! She grabs H's arm, gets right up in her grill, points a finger in her face and says "NO!", loud and firm, three times.
Let's be clear, I know my child isn't perfect. I blogged about it recently and I'm even aware that hey, she is probably less perfect than other kids when it comes to lashing out - it's something in her personality that she will need to learn to control with age. She wears her heart firmly on her sleeve. She is just as likely to run up and plant a kiss on another child's lips as she is to run up and hit them in the face. Which, unfortunately, is pretty likely.
Still, I can't be crazy in thinking that NO mother has the right to touch or raise their voice to my child while I am right there, or just in general. Ever. I also can't fight the visceral reaction I had, which was to feel incredibly protective and upset on my daughter's behalf.
My reaction was to say nothing, despite at least three other mothers looking at me with raised eyebrows and bulging eyeballs. I couldn't risk getting upset and saying something silly. I just pulled H aside and onto my lap, whispering "You must be nice to your friends, have some time out with Mum," but also planting a big kiss on her forehead. I can't imagine it's nice to have a stranger raise their voice at you.
Unfortunately, H's reaction was to become upset, refuse to participate in any other activities, walk over to another little boy and HEADBUTT him. I was MORTIFIED. Completely mortified. So was this boy's mother.
Okay, I'm not going to go over-the-top in defense of my child who was clearly in the wrong but I will say two things. Number one, she is not even two. Not even two years old. Number two, other people interfering does NOT help matters. It makes them worse in many ways.
I am ALL FOR other parents stepping in when situations are getting out of hand or children are behaving badly. But if it's not your child, you tread carefully, no? I have frequently been in situations where it is MY child being bullied, and I usually say something like "We don't hit our friends, guys." Not "NO, NO, NO!" with a friendly grab of the wrist.
Anyway, I made her say sorry to the little boy and we promptly packed up and left. I couldn't deal. Plus, I guess it was a form of punishment, although personally I think she couldn't wait to get out of there.
AAAAAAAAAH it feels nice to get this off my chest. My girlfriend has recommended confronting Swiper No Swiping woman next week but ultimately I just don't think it's worth it. It's the last week of term, we are moving up into the two year old group and hopefully H will be able to pick on kids or own size - or better yet, they'll give her a taste of her own medicine here and there. It can't hurt!
Meanwhile, we had a huge tantrum when we got home which resulted in a head-vs-concrete situation, and H is now sporting a big purple egg on her head. She was so distraught in the wake of the accident that I ended up in tears myself, which put HER tears to an immediate stop - it made me realise that the daycare centre's advice to say "Mummy feels sad" when things get out of control will probably come in very handy.
So, Mummy does feel a bit sad today. But it's Friday, Daddy is home soon, the Wiggles are on, and let's face it - I have lots to be happy about.
Z x
Monday, June 17, 2013
The "True Calling"
These days it seems like we are way too privileged when it comes to careers. Years ago, times were tougher - when you left school, you had to get out and get a job so you could earn enough to get by, or if you were really clever and your parents were willing to help out, you could maybe go to university and get a degree.
Today most of us automatically take the University track, even if we're not that clever, because it seems more and more jobs are requiring a degree and hey, who can say no to another three or four years of studying and living at home? Meanwhile, there are so many stores selling things that need young people to work in them. So getting a job is a piece of cake.
Lately I've noticed that it's gone one step further. SO many of my talented, tertiary educated friends have realised that their chosen field is not for them. They're going to study AGAIN. And not just postgraduate degrees - entirely new and different undergraduate disciplines.
I'm not criticising these friends, in fact it's quite the opposite. I'm one of them. I'm worse. I started a Communications degree right out of school, and dropped out in my third year (yes, I was nearly finished) to take some time off before starting my Education degree. Once I finished that, I taught for a little while before realising that too may not have been what I wanted to do...at which time I got pregnant and life worked itself out for a while.
Now I have a nearly two year old. I'd always thought that my "true calling" was to be a mother, and now I am one. It makes me SO happy and I'm pretty good at it (hear that horn I'm tooting?). I want more kids, but not too many as I know there are just way too many out there. Focusing all your energy on one child is just so not healthy, least of all for the child, so for now, I need something more.
I've recently been working on starting my own business. I have a pretty solid idea and have been looking at how to make it happen. Then I stumbled upon this article on Startup Nation, which encourages you to write a Life Plan before embarking on any kind of business plan.
I found this to be SO enlightening. When I sat down and looked at what I'm good at, what makes me happy and what kind of life I want to live, I immediately had to question my decision to start a business. My husband already runs a pretty successful business and it takes up SO MUCH of our lives. It is so stressful and often makes us very unhappy, despite it allowing us to live relatively stress-free financially. I had to wonder why I wanted to double that load.
As I've gone on this journey, I've read around a bit. I just read this article on Mind Body Green, which explains ten ways to discover your true calling. It made some sound points, but what really stuck with me was point six: Pay Attention To What Keeps Coming Back.
For me, it's kids. It has ALWAYS been kids. When I wanted to be a journalist, I wanted to write a children's book. I changed to teaching because I wanted to be more involved with kids. I had a kid. I decided I wanted to start a kids business. I have a genuine and persistent passion for children that it seems can't be quelled simply by having some of my own.
Anyway, I don't know if any of this has uncovered a "true calling" or if there even is such a thing. Perhaps many of us have many callings, each of which are true and right at different stages of our lives. But the entire exercise has at least given me a better idea of where to look for mine.
Have you found your true calling yet, or are you still looking?
Z xx
Today most of us automatically take the University track, even if we're not that clever, because it seems more and more jobs are requiring a degree and hey, who can say no to another three or four years of studying and living at home? Meanwhile, there are so many stores selling things that need young people to work in them. So getting a job is a piece of cake.
Lately I've noticed that it's gone one step further. SO many of my talented, tertiary educated friends have realised that their chosen field is not for them. They're going to study AGAIN. And not just postgraduate degrees - entirely new and different undergraduate disciplines.
I'm not criticising these friends, in fact it's quite the opposite. I'm one of them. I'm worse. I started a Communications degree right out of school, and dropped out in my third year (yes, I was nearly finished) to take some time off before starting my Education degree. Once I finished that, I taught for a little while before realising that too may not have been what I wanted to do...at which time I got pregnant and life worked itself out for a while.
Now I have a nearly two year old. I'd always thought that my "true calling" was to be a mother, and now I am one. It makes me SO happy and I'm pretty good at it (hear that horn I'm tooting?). I want more kids, but not too many as I know there are just way too many out there. Focusing all your energy on one child is just so not healthy, least of all for the child, so for now, I need something more.
I've recently been working on starting my own business. I have a pretty solid idea and have been looking at how to make it happen. Then I stumbled upon this article on Startup Nation, which encourages you to write a Life Plan before embarking on any kind of business plan.
I found this to be SO enlightening. When I sat down and looked at what I'm good at, what makes me happy and what kind of life I want to live, I immediately had to question my decision to start a business. My husband already runs a pretty successful business and it takes up SO MUCH of our lives. It is so stressful and often makes us very unhappy, despite it allowing us to live relatively stress-free financially. I had to wonder why I wanted to double that load.
As I've gone on this journey, I've read around a bit. I just read this article on Mind Body Green, which explains ten ways to discover your true calling. It made some sound points, but what really stuck with me was point six: Pay Attention To What Keeps Coming Back.
For me, it's kids. It has ALWAYS been kids. When I wanted to be a journalist, I wanted to write a children's book. I changed to teaching because I wanted to be more involved with kids. I had a kid. I decided I wanted to start a kids business. I have a genuine and persistent passion for children that it seems can't be quelled simply by having some of my own.
Anyway, I don't know if any of this has uncovered a "true calling" or if there even is such a thing. Perhaps many of us have many callings, each of which are true and right at different stages of our lives. But the entire exercise has at least given me a better idea of where to look for mine.
Have you found your true calling yet, or are you still looking?
Z xx
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Auckland, You're Alright!
Warning - large post full of awesome advice ahead!
We've just returned from six fabulous days in Auckland. It was my first time in the city, and overall I really liked it. I have to admit, I wasn't overly pumped about going to Auckland of all places in New Zealand - I have always harboured (and still do...) desires to explore the South Island. That said, I was pleasantly surprised. It's a big, friendly, beautiful city with lots of hidden surprises.
Travelling with a child in tow is always a unique experience - it stops you from exploring certain parts of a city but opens up others. With that in mind, I've compiled my Top Auckland finds for the little kids AND the big ones!
Auckland For Kids
1. Waiheke Island
Just a 30 minute ferry ride from Auckland (which is enough fun for the kids in and of itself), the beautiful Waiheke Island is a tiny piece of paradise surrounded by beaches. Almost all of these beaches have a playground either on or near the beach. If you're looking for somewhere child friendly to eat, head straight to Solar Eatery & Bar - they have an outdoor play area and lots of toys to amuse the little ones. We were lucky enough to have a sleeping child in the pram at lunch time and decided to head to The Oyster Inn where we took advantage of their weekday $25 three course menu (I know!!) and enjoyed a few drinks in the sunshine - can not recommend this enough! When our child finally awoke they were VERY accommodating and had a number of high chairs on hand. Another couple enjoyed a similar length lunch with their younger toddler and the staff were amazing with him. If I ever go back to Auckland, I will hire a house on Waiheke for the duration. LOVED it.
2. The Pavilions at Britomart
We stumbled upon this area on our first morning in Auckland, a Saturday. While there are designer boutiques and cafes galore the area has a buzzing kiddy vibe about it - funny little sculptures for kids to play on, a Saturday market and the piece de resistance, a really cool giant water bubbler feature thingy! My particular breed of toddler COULD. NOT. GET. ENOUGH. of the water. Whenever we walked within 50 metres of the Britomart district for the following week, she would scream WATERRRRR! Which was excellent because it was about 14 degrees. Anyway, a fun place to take kids if you're stuck in the city.
3. The Sky Tower
Head up the Southern Hemisphere's tallest building, The Sky Tower. It's pretty cool. And while you may be experiencing vertigo and planted against the innermost walls, your child will most likely be throwing themselves at the glass windows about 1million feet from the ground in pure delight. H loved it here and we hung out in the tower for well over an hour. It's a buzzing tourist destination so is therefore full of children misbehaving, which is always relaxing for a parent whose own child tends to be...well...boistrous.
4. Auckland Zoo
What a lovely little zoo! Just a 10 minute drive from Auckland Central, this Zoo is actually, in my opinion, even more child friendly than Taronga. It's also much cheaper at $25 NZ for an adult. We were lucky enough to be approached by a lady who had a double pass, which meant that H and I got in for free! Which is another great thing about Auckland - the people. But I digress. This zoo is very flat so great tired for little legs. It also has a FANTASTIC kid zone complete with chicken coops, bunny rabbits, guinea pigs and other household pets as well as a huge enclosed slide, a large dragon sculpture and child sized tables with books to read. My favourite thing about this Zoo (most especially compared with Taronga) was the range of healthy and affordable lunch options. As we were travelling, we had been forced to eat SO MUCH CRAP kids food. Think, nuggets and chips. Here we picked up a lunch box with sandwich, fruit, corn chips and juice for $10 NZ (which is like seven Aussie bucks, for which you would get half a sandwich in Sydney). A must-see with kids.
5. Ponsonby Central
Ponsonby, Ponsonby, where do I begin? If Waiheke Island didn't exist and wasn't so gosh darn BEAUTIFUL, Ponsonby would without doubt be my top Auckland pick. LOVE. IT. For both eats and shopping, nothing else compares.
When it comes to kids, Ponsonby Central is the place to go. It's a buzzing little market place with street food, produce and cafes, and even a pretty groovy radio station by night. It's one of those places where you know kids can run riot in the little laneway and people are going to be okay with it. It's just got a great vibe. We came here a couple of times, most memorably one night for the most AMAZING pizza (I didn't take down the name of the joint, but it is the only pizza place there...) and H had a ball. She made fast friends with 2.5 year old Frankie the Lion, and quickly adopted her tiger persona, so the two roared at each other for a good 20 minutes while onlookers smiled accommodatingly. We drank red wine from tumblers and relaxed. Bliss.
6. Victoria Park and Surrounds
I'm sure there are many fabulous parks in Auckland - in fact, I've read about a few of them here. But if you're confined to the city, like I pretty much was while the hubby was working, Victoria Park is a good option. Just a five minute walk from the city, the playground is probably best for older kids but has swings and sits beside a large sunny oval if energy needs to be burned. It's right beside a yummy French bakery where you can pick up affordable, authentic Pain au Chocolat (mmmmm) and coffee, and head for a walk down to the water to gaze at boats. A nice morning out for all.
Auckland For Big Kids
We were lucky enough to nab a babysitter on a couple of occasions and discover some of the treats Auckland has for (much) older kids too...
1. The Grill by Sean Connolly
YUM. YUM. YUM. Pick a steak, any steak. Watch it arrive before you, perfectly cooked. Then cry with happiness as an assortment of sauces are placed on your plate. And don't forget the sides - try the garlic mushrooms. You won't regret it. Eat. Drink. Be oh so merry.
2. Corner Bar
Situated on the corner of the old Hotel de Brett, Corner Bar has been described as an "Auckland Icon" and is certainly a great little place to grab a drink and people watch. Grab an Uncle Chico cocktail before moving on for dinner.
3. Quay Street Cafe
We went here for breakfast with H twice, and the only reason I didn't include it in the previous section is that it wasn't overly child friendly. The staff were really nice, but they didn't really have kids options and they had no high chairs, only those ones that clip onto chairs, and even then they only have one, so if there are two toddlers in the one cafe it's game on. Now, all that aside, this may have been the best breakfast food I've EVER eaten. Big call, I know. I've eaten a LOT of breakfast food, let's face it. But this was right up there. I ordered the Chilli Fried Eggs, J ordered the House Smoked Salmon - both crazily good. I'll be honest, the second time I came here I had jam on toast, and even that was mind blowing. How do some cafes do it? This one just does.
4. Imperial Lane
Imperial Lane is kind of a cafe/bar/garage in the newly refurbished Imperial Buildings, on Fort Lane/Queen St. Their main "restaurant" type dining is ROXY, which was closed when we went, but we decided to head into Imperial Lane for an Imperial Amber Ale on tap and a very enticing looking hot dog. J had the Asian Chicken Hot Dog and I had the "Marrakesh" and wow, they were yum. In J's words "I could eat at least two more".
5. Sky Jump
Okay, so I didn't actually do the Sky Jump. I couldn't even watch people doing it, as it made me kind of sick. But I kind of wish I did. It's a 192m jump attached to a cable, so you fall upright which is way less intimidating than bungee. You fall at about 85kph for 11 seconds, which is such a short amount of time there's really no excuse for NOT doing it. Then you can, almost, say you bungee jumped in NZ!
6. The Tin Soldier, Ponsonby
We ducked in here on a rainy Sunday while H was having her midday nap for a beer and a nice lunch. Sitting right on Ponsonby Road, this is kind of a bar/restaurant, but the food is AMAZING. Most of their dishes are to share, so you can choose from smaller tapas style dishes or large mains which are designed to be distributed across a couple of plates. We had two Stoke ales on tap, the Homemade Gnocchi w/butternut, shiitake, soy bean, zuchinni, thyme, truffle & pecorino and the Braised Beef Short Ribs w/red curry, crispy shallot, mint, coriander & puffed rice. The way J described this meal was to say he'd been "Fooded," which upon further explanation turns out to be when food leaves you feeling as if you've just done the deed. Hmmmmm...
All in all, my first trip to NZ was a success. H didn't sleep on either flight, but she was pretty well behaved for a nearly-two-year-old, and made me remember how adaptable and flexible she can be. I got some me time, some couple time, and some family time - what more can you want from any holiday? - and was delighted with some new food and drink experiences as well as some touristy fun.
Auckland - You're Alright!
Z x
We've just returned from six fabulous days in Auckland. It was my first time in the city, and overall I really liked it. I have to admit, I wasn't overly pumped about going to Auckland of all places in New Zealand - I have always harboured (and still do...) desires to explore the South Island. That said, I was pleasantly surprised. It's a big, friendly, beautiful city with lots of hidden surprises.
Travelling with a child in tow is always a unique experience - it stops you from exploring certain parts of a city but opens up others. With that in mind, I've compiled my Top Auckland finds for the little kids AND the big ones!
Auckland For Kids
1. Waiheke Island
Just a 30 minute ferry ride from Auckland (which is enough fun for the kids in and of itself), the beautiful Waiheke Island is a tiny piece of paradise surrounded by beaches. Almost all of these beaches have a playground either on or near the beach. If you're looking for somewhere child friendly to eat, head straight to Solar Eatery & Bar - they have an outdoor play area and lots of toys to amuse the little ones. We were lucky enough to have a sleeping child in the pram at lunch time and decided to head to The Oyster Inn where we took advantage of their weekday $25 three course menu (I know!!) and enjoyed a few drinks in the sunshine - can not recommend this enough! When our child finally awoke they were VERY accommodating and had a number of high chairs on hand. Another couple enjoyed a similar length lunch with their younger toddler and the staff were amazing with him. If I ever go back to Auckland, I will hire a house on Waiheke for the duration. LOVED it.
2. The Pavilions at Britomart
We stumbled upon this area on our first morning in Auckland, a Saturday. While there are designer boutiques and cafes galore the area has a buzzing kiddy vibe about it - funny little sculptures for kids to play on, a Saturday market and the piece de resistance, a really cool giant water bubbler feature thingy! My particular breed of toddler COULD. NOT. GET. ENOUGH. of the water. Whenever we walked within 50 metres of the Britomart district for the following week, she would scream WATERRRRR! Which was excellent because it was about 14 degrees. Anyway, a fun place to take kids if you're stuck in the city.
3. The Sky Tower
Head up the Southern Hemisphere's tallest building, The Sky Tower. It's pretty cool. And while you may be experiencing vertigo and planted against the innermost walls, your child will most likely be throwing themselves at the glass windows about 1million feet from the ground in pure delight. H loved it here and we hung out in the tower for well over an hour. It's a buzzing tourist destination so is therefore full of children misbehaving, which is always relaxing for a parent whose own child tends to be...well...boistrous.
4. Auckland Zoo
What a lovely little zoo! Just a 10 minute drive from Auckland Central, this Zoo is actually, in my opinion, even more child friendly than Taronga. It's also much cheaper at $25 NZ for an adult. We were lucky enough to be approached by a lady who had a double pass, which meant that H and I got in for free! Which is another great thing about Auckland - the people. But I digress. This zoo is very flat so great tired for little legs. It also has a FANTASTIC kid zone complete with chicken coops, bunny rabbits, guinea pigs and other household pets as well as a huge enclosed slide, a large dragon sculpture and child sized tables with books to read. My favourite thing about this Zoo (most especially compared with Taronga) was the range of healthy and affordable lunch options. As we were travelling, we had been forced to eat SO MUCH CRAP kids food. Think, nuggets and chips. Here we picked up a lunch box with sandwich, fruit, corn chips and juice for $10 NZ (which is like seven Aussie bucks, for which you would get half a sandwich in Sydney). A must-see with kids.
5. Ponsonby Central
Ponsonby, Ponsonby, where do I begin? If Waiheke Island didn't exist and wasn't so gosh darn BEAUTIFUL, Ponsonby would without doubt be my top Auckland pick. LOVE. IT. For both eats and shopping, nothing else compares.
When it comes to kids, Ponsonby Central is the place to go. It's a buzzing little market place with street food, produce and cafes, and even a pretty groovy radio station by night. It's one of those places where you know kids can run riot in the little laneway and people are going to be okay with it. It's just got a great vibe. We came here a couple of times, most memorably one night for the most AMAZING pizza (I didn't take down the name of the joint, but it is the only pizza place there...) and H had a ball. She made fast friends with 2.5 year old Frankie the Lion, and quickly adopted her tiger persona, so the two roared at each other for a good 20 minutes while onlookers smiled accommodatingly. We drank red wine from tumblers and relaxed. Bliss.
6. Victoria Park and Surrounds
I'm sure there are many fabulous parks in Auckland - in fact, I've read about a few of them here. But if you're confined to the city, like I pretty much was while the hubby was working, Victoria Park is a good option. Just a five minute walk from the city, the playground is probably best for older kids but has swings and sits beside a large sunny oval if energy needs to be burned. It's right beside a yummy French bakery where you can pick up affordable, authentic Pain au Chocolat (mmmmm) and coffee, and head for a walk down to the water to gaze at boats. A nice morning out for all.
Auckland For Big Kids
We were lucky enough to nab a babysitter on a couple of occasions and discover some of the treats Auckland has for (much) older kids too...
1. The Grill by Sean Connolly
YUM. YUM. YUM. Pick a steak, any steak. Watch it arrive before you, perfectly cooked. Then cry with happiness as an assortment of sauces are placed on your plate. And don't forget the sides - try the garlic mushrooms. You won't regret it. Eat. Drink. Be oh so merry.
2. Corner Bar
Situated on the corner of the old Hotel de Brett, Corner Bar has been described as an "Auckland Icon" and is certainly a great little place to grab a drink and people watch. Grab an Uncle Chico cocktail before moving on for dinner.
3. Quay Street Cafe
We went here for breakfast with H twice, and the only reason I didn't include it in the previous section is that it wasn't overly child friendly. The staff were really nice, but they didn't really have kids options and they had no high chairs, only those ones that clip onto chairs, and even then they only have one, so if there are two toddlers in the one cafe it's game on. Now, all that aside, this may have been the best breakfast food I've EVER eaten. Big call, I know. I've eaten a LOT of breakfast food, let's face it. But this was right up there. I ordered the Chilli Fried Eggs, J ordered the House Smoked Salmon - both crazily good. I'll be honest, the second time I came here I had jam on toast, and even that was mind blowing. How do some cafes do it? This one just does.
4. Imperial Lane
Imperial Lane is kind of a cafe/bar/garage in the newly refurbished Imperial Buildings, on Fort Lane/Queen St. Their main "restaurant" type dining is ROXY, which was closed when we went, but we decided to head into Imperial Lane for an Imperial Amber Ale on tap and a very enticing looking hot dog. J had the Asian Chicken Hot Dog and I had the "Marrakesh" and wow, they were yum. In J's words "I could eat at least two more".
5. Sky Jump
Okay, so I didn't actually do the Sky Jump. I couldn't even watch people doing it, as it made me kind of sick. But I kind of wish I did. It's a 192m jump attached to a cable, so you fall upright which is way less intimidating than bungee. You fall at about 85kph for 11 seconds, which is such a short amount of time there's really no excuse for NOT doing it. Then you can, almost, say you bungee jumped in NZ!
6. The Tin Soldier, Ponsonby
We ducked in here on a rainy Sunday while H was having her midday nap for a beer and a nice lunch. Sitting right on Ponsonby Road, this is kind of a bar/restaurant, but the food is AMAZING. Most of their dishes are to share, so you can choose from smaller tapas style dishes or large mains which are designed to be distributed across a couple of plates. We had two Stoke ales on tap, the Homemade Gnocchi w/butternut, shiitake, soy bean, zuchinni, thyme, truffle & pecorino and the Braised Beef Short Ribs w/red curry, crispy shallot, mint, coriander & puffed rice. The way J described this meal was to say he'd been "Fooded," which upon further explanation turns out to be when food leaves you feeling as if you've just done the deed. Hmmmmm...
All in all, my first trip to NZ was a success. H didn't sleep on either flight, but she was pretty well behaved for a nearly-two-year-old, and made me remember how adaptable and flexible she can be. I got some me time, some couple time, and some family time - what more can you want from any holiday? - and was delighted with some new food and drink experiences as well as some touristy fun.
Auckland - You're Alright!
Z x
Friday, June 7, 2013
Learning to Say No
These days you wouldn't believe I have a hard time saying no. It's one of my most utilised words with an almost two year old in the house. Generally though, I'm what's known as a "yes" person. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a saint - not by any means. I'll say "yes" and then bitch and moan about it later. But I do find it verrrrry difficult to say no in the first place.
Lately I've realised that all this yes business is wearing me down. It's gotten to the point that I'll not only agree to things that don't really suit me, I'll go out of my way to offer to help people when it's really inconvenient. I have no idea why I do it - it's something in the way I'm programmed.
In my early uni days I lived in a flat with a close girlfriend. One night her boyfriend was over and the two amused themselves by asking me to do random things ("Can you get up and change the channel?" "Can you make us a cup of tea?") before collapsing in laughter - they were having me on.
There's nothing admirable about being a yes person. In fact, it shows many signs of weakness and a desperation for the approval of others. It can also be a dangerous path, leading to anxiety and even depression. So why do we do it?
Of all the yes people out there, the majority seem to be women. It's something about our caring, nurturing natures. Personally, I'm incredibly empathetic and feel things deeply, and on top of this I have this overwhelming NEED to keep the peace - no, it's okay, don't get cranky, don't feel sad, don't be inconvenienced, I'LL DO IT!!!!
Something that I think comes with age is the realisation that not only do you simply not have the time or energy to "do it all", but if you constantly put yourself out for others you really aren't going to get the same in return. Because for every yes person there are five or six others who have no troubles saying no and doing what suits them best most or all of the time. And that can start to feel really shitty after a while if you're someone who always puts yourself out. But you know what? It's not their fault you're running around trying to please them. It's yours.
So I've started trying to say no. I did it for the first time last week. I'd offered a pregnant friend a lift somewhere, then realised it was actually really inconvenient for me as I wanted to leave to visit my parents prior to that. I mentioned it to my husband, whose response was trademark simple - cancel. I quite literally tossed and turned before deciding to take back my offer. It was SO hard. But it made my day so much easier, and I realised that if I'd upset or inconvenienced my friend it really WASN'T my problem - I can't go through life with the weight of everyone else's problems on my shoulders. I just can't.
One other thing I've learnt in life is that ultimately, you can't change a person. People are programmed the way they're programmed, but you can try to push these qualities to their limits, to work around them, and to continually better yourself. And for me, that means starting to say no, at least once in a while.
Z x
Lately I've realised that all this yes business is wearing me down. It's gotten to the point that I'll not only agree to things that don't really suit me, I'll go out of my way to offer to help people when it's really inconvenient. I have no idea why I do it - it's something in the way I'm programmed.
In my early uni days I lived in a flat with a close girlfriend. One night her boyfriend was over and the two amused themselves by asking me to do random things ("Can you get up and change the channel?" "Can you make us a cup of tea?") before collapsing in laughter - they were having me on.
There's nothing admirable about being a yes person. In fact, it shows many signs of weakness and a desperation for the approval of others. It can also be a dangerous path, leading to anxiety and even depression. So why do we do it?
Of all the yes people out there, the majority seem to be women. It's something about our caring, nurturing natures. Personally, I'm incredibly empathetic and feel things deeply, and on top of this I have this overwhelming NEED to keep the peace - no, it's okay, don't get cranky, don't feel sad, don't be inconvenienced, I'LL DO IT!!!!
Something that I think comes with age is the realisation that not only do you simply not have the time or energy to "do it all", but if you constantly put yourself out for others you really aren't going to get the same in return. Because for every yes person there are five or six others who have no troubles saying no and doing what suits them best most or all of the time. And that can start to feel really shitty after a while if you're someone who always puts yourself out. But you know what? It's not their fault you're running around trying to please them. It's yours.
So I've started trying to say no. I did it for the first time last week. I'd offered a pregnant friend a lift somewhere, then realised it was actually really inconvenient for me as I wanted to leave to visit my parents prior to that. I mentioned it to my husband, whose response was trademark simple - cancel. I quite literally tossed and turned before deciding to take back my offer. It was SO hard. But it made my day so much easier, and I realised that if I'd upset or inconvenienced my friend it really WASN'T my problem - I can't go through life with the weight of everyone else's problems on my shoulders. I just can't.
One other thing I've learnt in life is that ultimately, you can't change a person. People are programmed the way they're programmed, but you can try to push these qualities to their limits, to work around them, and to continually better yourself. And for me, that means starting to say no, at least once in a while.
Z x
Thursday, June 6, 2013
The Question of Manners
As someone who has worked as both a teacher and a nanny, I have seen many sides to many kids. I have seen a full classroom of kids, that's 30 separate children, behave like absolute monsters. I've seen these same 13-year-old kids (boys!) outside of school holding hands with their Dad. I have seen the normally sweet, mild mannered little girl I nannied be incredibly rude and mean to her friends on occasion.
So I guess my point here is, no child is perfect. I've always told myself to remember this, because there's nothing worse than a parent who can't see faults in their kids.
When I was younger, our parents never assumed we were in the right when it came to disagreements with our mates. In fact, my Mum usually assumed I was in the wrong, and she was usually right because I was an incredibly bossy and forthright kid. Even though I sometimes hated her for automatically assuming I'd done or said something naughty, it taught me an important parenting lesson - remember, your child is flawed.
Sit down and have a think about all of your flaws. All of your husband's flaws. All of your best friend's flaws. I'm willing to bet my savings that none of you are perfect. So it makes sense that the same is true of your kids.
I was reading this article on Mamamia today in which the author recounted punishing another child's bad manners. The author wondered if she'd overreacted. Absolutely not, I thought - you have to call bad manners out where you see them, and I frequently do, if somewhat more forcefully with my own child than others'. But reading the comments on the article, a trend begins to appear - about 80% of the commenters are perfect parents with perfect children! What do you know?!
It's frustrating to read the comments because when you really look at them, so many parents are pointing out that their kids are really well mannered, but none of their friends are. What is wrong with all these friends' parents? Huh?! I'm guessing they are also posting about their child's perfect manners (but that other kid, the original commenter's kid? What a potty mouth!)
I guess the point I want to make is that in my sizeable test pool, not one child I have worked with is perfect. Not ONE. Yes, some are worse than others. Some make me want to come home and administer an alcohol drip, whereas others' behaviour can be cured with a stern look. Good parenting DOES matter, in fact it's the most important thing - some of the best advice I received as a teacher was that the students with good parents can always be put in place with the threat of a call home to Mum. The ones with not so good parents will tell you they don't give a f@#! - and they'll say f@#!.
Good manners are essential in life. If you don't have manners, you won't have friends. Or, likely, a job. By all means, fly the flag for good manners. Reprimand other kids. But try not to forget that no one's perfect - not even your precious baby.
Z x
So I guess my point here is, no child is perfect. I've always told myself to remember this, because there's nothing worse than a parent who can't see faults in their kids.
When I was younger, our parents never assumed we were in the right when it came to disagreements with our mates. In fact, my Mum usually assumed I was in the wrong, and she was usually right because I was an incredibly bossy and forthright kid. Even though I sometimes hated her for automatically assuming I'd done or said something naughty, it taught me an important parenting lesson - remember, your child is flawed.
Sit down and have a think about all of your flaws. All of your husband's flaws. All of your best friend's flaws. I'm willing to bet my savings that none of you are perfect. So it makes sense that the same is true of your kids.
I was reading this article on Mamamia today in which the author recounted punishing another child's bad manners. The author wondered if she'd overreacted. Absolutely not, I thought - you have to call bad manners out where you see them, and I frequently do, if somewhat more forcefully with my own child than others'. But reading the comments on the article, a trend begins to appear - about 80% of the commenters are perfect parents with perfect children! What do you know?!
It's frustrating to read the comments because when you really look at them, so many parents are pointing out that their kids are really well mannered, but none of their friends are. What is wrong with all these friends' parents? Huh?! I'm guessing they are also posting about their child's perfect manners (but that other kid, the original commenter's kid? What a potty mouth!)
I guess the point I want to make is that in my sizeable test pool, not one child I have worked with is perfect. Not ONE. Yes, some are worse than others. Some make me want to come home and administer an alcohol drip, whereas others' behaviour can be cured with a stern look. Good parenting DOES matter, in fact it's the most important thing - some of the best advice I received as a teacher was that the students with good parents can always be put in place with the threat of a call home to Mum. The ones with not so good parents will tell you they don't give a f@#! - and they'll say f@#!.
Good manners are essential in life. If you don't have manners, you won't have friends. Or, likely, a job. By all means, fly the flag for good manners. Reprimand other kids. But try not to forget that no one's perfect - not even your precious baby.
Z x
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
The Travelling Toddler
At age 13, I was one of those kids who'd never left the country. Heck, I'd never even been on a PLANE - and I was fine with that, really! In fact, in my mind I'd have been happy marrying a local boy, settling down and moving into the house next door to my parents, where I would live happily forever more.
Alas, that's not quite how my life panned out. I took my first plane trip that very year and was literally sick with fear the entire time. Fifteen years on I STILL have mild anxiety boarding a plane, despite having flown on many, MANY planes. You see, I ended up marrying a German who lists "Travelling" at the top of his list of interests. Thus began a life of being pushed out of my comfort zone time and time again.
So it is that my dear little daughter is about to travel to her SIXTH international destination in less than two years. Come September, three days after her second birthday, we'll make that seven. And that's if my husband doesn't manage to convince me to meet his family in Thailand next month (second mortgage, anyone?).
I never would have thought I'd be the type of Mum who could consider herself an expert on travelling with babies and toddlers, yet here I am. Kind of an expert! Well, not really. I'm not all that good at it. I forget things. I stress. I worry. I fight with my husband. But we have fun.
I'm planning to spend the better part of the day packing for six days in New Zealand, in winter. I'm shivering just thinking about it. Anyway, what better way to prepare than to share my top ten tips for travelling with a toddler?
Here they are:
1) You can never be too prepared - Write a list. Get your husband to write a list. Get your Mum and your neighbour to write lists. Cross-check all lists. Wait three days. Write another list. Now you're getting there.
2) You can also never be too unprepared - At the end of the day, if you forget seven items on your list you can always buy them there*. Breathe.
3) A well stocked carry on/carry around bag is ESSENTIAL - I truly believe that this is the most important ingredient for travelling. Once your other luggage is stowed away, or back at your hotel room when you're on a tour hours away, there are NO MORE NAPPIES. There are NO MORE SNACKS (particularly if you're in Asia and can't for the life of you find toddler appropriate food). It's good to have a list of carry bag essentials (nappies, wipes, water, snacks, toys etc.) and cross check the list every time you leave the house on your holiday. Trust me - just trust me.
4) IPAD - Just iPad. You know what I'm sayin'. Here is a pretty great list of the best iPad apps for toddlers, but I find an abundance of Peppa Pig and In The Night Garden to be particularly useful.
5) You can never be too pushy - You know back before you had kids, those parents who were just PAINFUL because they always had to get to the front of the line, had to ask if you could swap seats with them, just HAD to get to the bathroom before you? Be that parent. When you're travelling, little things like an extra seat on the plane or pre-boarding can make the WORLD of difference to your stress levels and, in turn, everyone's enjoyment of the holiday. It doesn't hurt to ask.
6) Get in early - When you're travelling, it's often a case of "first in, best dressed". This applies to seats on planes and buses, bassinet access, placement at shows and events and so on. If you have a 10 month old who would sleep the night on the plane in a bassinet, you need to do EVERYTHING you can to get that bassinet! I'm talking rocking up a good three hours early. It is worth every minute of your time.
7) Consider Qantas Club Membership - You can pay for membership to the Qantas club, which can also be achieved by Frequent Flyer status. If you're looking at a good 2-3 hours in an airport with kids, there's no better place to spend it than in Qantas Club. There's tons of healthy food free for the picking, computers for playing, lounges for sleeping, Wifi and even Xbox. There's always a family zone where kids can just run wild, and in the Platinum/First lounge (where we will be going for the first time this Friday - hooray nomadic husband!) there are even SHOWERS. I've been telling everyone for weeks how I plan to shower H and put her in her PJ's before our 7pm flight. I hope I'm not going to be underwhelmed...
8) Think about buying a baby backpack - These are fantastic for travelling, particularly if you're in places that aren't great for prams. Ours is the "Tatonka" brand, but I've heard the "Ergo Baby Carriers" are better on the back - I'm hoping to borrow one from a friend for this trip.
9) Don't forget your pram!!! - When we went to Fiji over new years, we forgot our pram!!! Admittedly we dashed off early in the morning after arriving home from Christmas at my parents the night before - we weren't prepared (see points one and two). Luckily for us, many of the larger chain hotels and resorts lend prams, and ours did. Still, we really missed it at the airport, particularly as H was very much at that hard to tame age of 15 months (or, I should say, she was a particularly hard to tame 15 month old). My recommendation is to buy a cheap little fold out stroller just for travelling - it's $20-100 you won't regret spending, and if you don't have one you may find it handier for a toddler in general anyway (I love my MacLaren!).
10) RELAX - Take lots of pictures. Or don't. Have lots of cuddles. Skip the museum for a run in the park. Eat sugar. Feed your child sugar. Embrace muddy clothes. Don't make the bed. Commit every second to memory, because these times are precious, these moments are fleeting, and life is short.
Happy travels!
Z xx
Alas, that's not quite how my life panned out. I took my first plane trip that very year and was literally sick with fear the entire time. Fifteen years on I STILL have mild anxiety boarding a plane, despite having flown on many, MANY planes. You see, I ended up marrying a German who lists "Travelling" at the top of his list of interests. Thus began a life of being pushed out of my comfort zone time and time again.
So it is that my dear little daughter is about to travel to her SIXTH international destination in less than two years. Come September, three days after her second birthday, we'll make that seven. And that's if my husband doesn't manage to convince me to meet his family in Thailand next month (second mortgage, anyone?).
I never would have thought I'd be the type of Mum who could consider herself an expert on travelling with babies and toddlers, yet here I am. Kind of an expert! Well, not really. I'm not all that good at it. I forget things. I stress. I worry. I fight with my husband. But we have fun.
I'm planning to spend the better part of the day packing for six days in New Zealand, in winter. I'm shivering just thinking about it. Anyway, what better way to prepare than to share my top ten tips for travelling with a toddler?
Here they are:
1) You can never be too prepared - Write a list. Get your husband to write a list. Get your Mum and your neighbour to write lists. Cross-check all lists. Wait three days. Write another list. Now you're getting there.
2) You can also never be too unprepared - At the end of the day, if you forget seven items on your list you can always buy them there*. Breathe.
3) A well stocked carry on/carry around bag is ESSENTIAL - I truly believe that this is the most important ingredient for travelling. Once your other luggage is stowed away, or back at your hotel room when you're on a tour hours away, there are NO MORE NAPPIES. There are NO MORE SNACKS (particularly if you're in Asia and can't for the life of you find toddler appropriate food). It's good to have a list of carry bag essentials (nappies, wipes, water, snacks, toys etc.) and cross check the list every time you leave the house on your holiday. Trust me - just trust me.
4) IPAD - Just iPad. You know what I'm sayin'. Here is a pretty great list of the best iPad apps for toddlers, but I find an abundance of Peppa Pig and In The Night Garden to be particularly useful.
5) You can never be too pushy - You know back before you had kids, those parents who were just PAINFUL because they always had to get to the front of the line, had to ask if you could swap seats with them, just HAD to get to the bathroom before you? Be that parent. When you're travelling, little things like an extra seat on the plane or pre-boarding can make the WORLD of difference to your stress levels and, in turn, everyone's enjoyment of the holiday. It doesn't hurt to ask.
6) Get in early - When you're travelling, it's often a case of "first in, best dressed". This applies to seats on planes and buses, bassinet access, placement at shows and events and so on. If you have a 10 month old who would sleep the night on the plane in a bassinet, you need to do EVERYTHING you can to get that bassinet! I'm talking rocking up a good three hours early. It is worth every minute of your time.
7) Consider Qantas Club Membership - You can pay for membership to the Qantas club, which can also be achieved by Frequent Flyer status. If you're looking at a good 2-3 hours in an airport with kids, there's no better place to spend it than in Qantas Club. There's tons of healthy food free for the picking, computers for playing, lounges for sleeping, Wifi and even Xbox. There's always a family zone where kids can just run wild, and in the Platinum/First lounge (where we will be going for the first time this Friday - hooray nomadic husband!) there are even SHOWERS. I've been telling everyone for weeks how I plan to shower H and put her in her PJ's before our 7pm flight. I hope I'm not going to be underwhelmed...
8) Think about buying a baby backpack - These are fantastic for travelling, particularly if you're in places that aren't great for prams. Ours is the "Tatonka" brand, but I've heard the "Ergo Baby Carriers" are better on the back - I'm hoping to borrow one from a friend for this trip.
9) Don't forget your pram!!! - When we went to Fiji over new years, we forgot our pram!!! Admittedly we dashed off early in the morning after arriving home from Christmas at my parents the night before - we weren't prepared (see points one and two). Luckily for us, many of the larger chain hotels and resorts lend prams, and ours did. Still, we really missed it at the airport, particularly as H was very much at that hard to tame age of 15 months (or, I should say, she was a particularly hard to tame 15 month old). My recommendation is to buy a cheap little fold out stroller just for travelling - it's $20-100 you won't regret spending, and if you don't have one you may find it handier for a toddler in general anyway (I love my MacLaren!).
10) RELAX - Take lots of pictures. Or don't. Have lots of cuddles. Skip the museum for a run in the park. Eat sugar. Feed your child sugar. Embrace muddy clothes. Don't make the bed. Commit every second to memory, because these times are precious, these moments are fleeting, and life is short.
Happy travels!
Z xx
Monday, June 3, 2013
Monday Blues
My weekends have been so lovely lately. There's something pretty magical about nearly two year olds, and something even more magical about having my husband around when he works 12 hour days throughout the week. We're finally at the point where two people makes things twice as easy - we no longer trip over each other and argue about the right way to do things. Parenthood just flows.
So, our weekends have been full of sleep ins (one day each), cafe breakfasts, leisurely work around the house, long midday naps and dinner at the pub. Coffees, laughs, trips to the park. The kind of life I imagined when I decided I just HAD to have a baby.
There are two downsides to this new weekend bliss. Firstly, the weekends just fly. I mean, two days is simply NOT ENOUGH! Secondly, I have been experiencing CHRONIC cases of the Monday blues.
A couple of Mondays ago it was so bad, I was actually in tears on Monday morning. Okay, I'll be honest, I also had PMS and my jeans ripped across the backside while I was getting dressed for work, but these things only compounded my already awful depression over the fact that it was MONDAY and there were FIVE MORE DAYS until the weekend. Sob.
Because of this, I've had to employ some coping strategies to nip this blues in the bud. Some examples include:
- Making the most of Sunday. I've started staying up really late on Sunday night rather than my usual 8.30pm bed time, and messing around with music on my computer or other fun things. I've realised I don't have to write off Sunday night!
- Getting up nice and early on Monday morning, doing my hair and getting some work done so I can head to my exercise class once H is at daycare.
- Making the most of the fact that, while it is a work day, it is also a daycare day - having a long, leisurely breakfast over the paper and working over my lunch break to compensate.
- Making Monday a two coffee day (rather than my usual one).
- Being very organised and ready for Monday on Sunday is key. So, no arguments over who is doing drop off or pick up, what the daily schedule is like or what's for dinner. Oh, and no melt downs over what I'm going to wear!!
- Going easy on myself. It's okay to ease slowly into the week.
Knowing that the following Monday is a public holiday is also an excellent coping strategy. This happens about four times a year, but with that knowledge in mind, some Mondays (like this one) can be pretty easy to bear.
Z x
So, our weekends have been full of sleep ins (one day each), cafe breakfasts, leisurely work around the house, long midday naps and dinner at the pub. Coffees, laughs, trips to the park. The kind of life I imagined when I decided I just HAD to have a baby.
There are two downsides to this new weekend bliss. Firstly, the weekends just fly. I mean, two days is simply NOT ENOUGH! Secondly, I have been experiencing CHRONIC cases of the Monday blues.
A couple of Mondays ago it was so bad, I was actually in tears on Monday morning. Okay, I'll be honest, I also had PMS and my jeans ripped across the backside while I was getting dressed for work, but these things only compounded my already awful depression over the fact that it was MONDAY and there were FIVE MORE DAYS until the weekend. Sob.
Because of this, I've had to employ some coping strategies to nip this blues in the bud. Some examples include:
- Making the most of Sunday. I've started staying up really late on Sunday night rather than my usual 8.30pm bed time, and messing around with music on my computer or other fun things. I've realised I don't have to write off Sunday night!
- Getting up nice and early on Monday morning, doing my hair and getting some work done so I can head to my exercise class once H is at daycare.
- Making the most of the fact that, while it is a work day, it is also a daycare day - having a long, leisurely breakfast over the paper and working over my lunch break to compensate.
- Making Monday a two coffee day (rather than my usual one).
- Being very organised and ready for Monday on Sunday is key. So, no arguments over who is doing drop off or pick up, what the daily schedule is like or what's for dinner. Oh, and no melt downs over what I'm going to wear!!
- Going easy on myself. It's okay to ease slowly into the week.
Knowing that the following Monday is a public holiday is also an excellent coping strategy. This happens about four times a year, but with that knowledge in mind, some Mondays (like this one) can be pretty easy to bear.
Z x
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