by iamcrabstix | Jul 10, 2023 | eet, general parenting, Reviews, rlt
Tuesdays is Hartbeeps Day for us in our week of baby groups in Darlington. Again, shying away from traditional playgroups because we have seen the rewards of going to taught sessions; Hartbeeps offers something for both children in our household. Either as individuals for the benefits of one-on-one time or as a pair, I never have to worry about anyone missing out, thanks to their understanding that people often have children close together in age.
1. Catchy songs
The tunes in Hartbeeps are often based on ones you know, with a little Hartbeeps twist. So children benefit from the sense of familiarity as well as developing their listening skills.
2. Set routines that may help you at home
The sessions follow the same structure, which is fantastic as children learn through repetition. The activities are never the same, as the theme is changed weekly throughout the term, but the basic core structure remains, which allows the children to anticipate what is next. The wind-down session is great to incorporate into your own bedtime routine. I have two children who go to two different sessions but the fundamentals of the wind-down are the same, so it allows them both to be familiar with what is happening through the use of songs, a Hartbeeps star and turning the lights down. This has often saved me when doing bedtimes when I am solo parenting!
3. Some Cheeky Classics Which Will Make Parents Smile
If you were anything like me and enjoyed a nightclub or two back in the noughties, even the occasional jaunt to Ibiza, you’ll appreciate the little nods to a simpler time in your life with Hartbeeps versions of classics such as Nalin and Kane- Beachball in some of the sessions! If you were more of a fan of latin music, they’ve got something for you too as the Lambada was modernised for the farming community to become the Lamb Baa Baa.
4. Lovely Classes
All of the parents in our classes are absolutely lovely. I don’t have the easiest of toddlers and Ali, who owns the franchise has been absolutely amazing. If it wasn’t for her, I’m sure I wouldn’t leave the house with my toddler because his behaviour was feral. We started the Happy House class so that we had some one-to-one time, but it was rough. As he is not vying for my attention with his brother, he likes to use the opportunity to let me know that his emotions overwhelm him. A new baby, hearing and speech issues meant he was emotionally in turmoil a lot of the time. Ali has been so kind and patient with us both. She’s been incredibly understanding and encouraging in the sessions with him, taking it as a win if he joins in and tries again next time if he doesn’t. I’ve also never felt judged by anyone for his behaviour and always extremely welcome. She also takes the time to comment on any social media posts she sees of the boys. People really do buy into people and Hartbeeps really does feel like you belong to a village which supports each other. I can’t express enough for any parent a little bit scared of baby groups or has a feral toddler, that Hartbeeps really is fantastic.
5. Quality
The content of the classes is exceptionally high quality and so are all of the props! I’ve never seen such an exquisite parachute – but the parachute used in Baby Beeps and Baby Bells is something else! You never have to worry about cleanliness around little babies in this class, it is the cleanest and anything that comes into contact with the children is the highest quality I’ve ever seen in baby groups in Darlington.
6. Something For Everyone – baby groups in Darlington that you can stick with!
We’ve found something that the children can enjoy as individuals or if I need to, I can take them to class together. The classes are grouped by development stage rather than age but as a rough indication, Baby Bells class is for newborn to won’t sit still any longer, Baby Beeps is for little explorers and Happy House is for toddlers and suitable until they start reception. So your child can have that sense of familiarity from the start, which can only be a good thing. The baby groups are available in Darlington and Newton Aycliffe through the particular franchise owner we are familiar with. Other areas are available. Trials are encouraged as each person will put their own spin on delivery.
Disclaimer: All views my own and all classes paid for. I have not been asked to publish this post.
by iamcrabstix | Jun 27, 2019 | general parenting, rlt
It’s been a rollercoaster of a year.
I think two is difficult at the best of times, but when 99% of people don’t understand you, you shout a little bit louder and have fits of rage that a bouncer on steroids would be proud of.
Throw into the mix a little brother, hearing problems, speech and language assessments, two parents completely distracted by work pressures and one of them that is so completely soft as 💩 that she fails to implement any boundaries, the early part of two sucked.
You have really struggled with your emotions this year, you have been very frustrated and angry. You have directed most of that at mummy, but that’s because you know she’s always there, even if it is with your brother. Thankfully, you have never been anything other than kind and caring to your brother. Although, I blame someone letting you watch Boss Baby just before his arrival for alot of the issues with your emotion! Why doesn’t he have a suit and why can’t he talk?
It took you about six months to acknowledge him, because he didn’t really do anything before that. But as soon as he sat up and thought you were funny, you have been the most helpful and caring big brother. You always tell me when he’s crying and you always try to comfort him with a hug, even if it does end up being an unintentional headbutt. He loves you so very much and always tries to get your attention and instigates it with a Peter Griffin type laugh. There is a definite pecking order and you love to tell him to stop touching the TV and to wash his hair (even if you don’t follow your own advice, you sprayed our nice 50 inch TV with a water bottle, rendering it useless and you always refuse to have your hair washed).
You still refuse to sleep all night in your own bed, even though Dada’s snoring wakes you up and you don’t get a good night’s sleep. One day you will stay in bed, so we don’t try to force you, if you need to know you’re not on your own in the middle of the dark night, that’s ok with us.
You’d like to be obsessed with technology, but we have to be very strict with you on what you can and can’t have. Your brother bought you a tablet, when he was born, but unfortunately your brother didn’t realise that you’d find an alternative app to use YouTube, so you only had it a few weeks. Your attention span could be a hindrance to your communication, so you’re only allowed such things to watch movies when we are in the car, which we did when we went to Bluestone and also to Center Parcs.
You really enjoyed swimming at both of these places, so we really need to do more of that now you’re three.
Getting you to talk more has been a big part of leading up to three. You don’t tell us when you’re hungry or thirsty and we have been told to stop anticipating your needs so much to try and get you to speak. This has been hard on us all as you do very well on a morning asking for cornflakes and juice, but you forget to do it for the rest of the day and then you get very upset. We have been using pictures to try and help, you know all of the names for the food and the drinks, but we are still working on hungry and thirsty. Unless it is for ice cream, then you know you always want an ice cream, so we know you can do it.
Singing has been a massive part of your year and it’s been lovely to see your confidence grow through singing. It’s taken you a very long time to dance in front of other people, but sometimes we know you’re dancing in the living room and we can see you from the kitchen. You’ve never liked nursery rhymes and do love guitars. You were so obsessed by George Ezra by the time your brother was born that we couldn’t resist giving him the middle name Ezra to always remember that time. Shotgun was definitely the first thing we ever heard you singing very clear, at a time when we were so very worried that you were unable to speak.
As time has gone on you listen less to George Ezra and extended your repertoire to electronic dance music at one point. Thankfully we’ve been able to reign the raving back a bit, thanks to the film, Sing, you now like Panic at the Disco and a bit of Stevie Wonder. Your biggest obsession currently is Sam Fender and you’re getting in to Justin Bieber, albeit when he teams up with Diplo, which I can take absolutely no blame for, honest.
We love you to death little man, you’ve now been discharged from audiology, because they think you have glue ear and nothing more serious. Where this is good news, this means we need to find a way to get you talking. Nursery have been a great help, although you’ve only recently stopped crying when I leave you there, you always come out ten feet tall as you’ve had a lovely time. You’ve been going to Hartbeeps for six months now, which I’ve seen you start to enjoy more than anything else in the world. It took along time to get you to take part, but your confidence is growing because of it and your imagination is starting to show through.
You would definitely benefit from having some friends now, so we will increase your nursery time from September so you get to see the boys and girls for as long as they get to see each other. It’s been a hard year, little man, but you’ve come so far, I promise I will do all that I can to make three better than two for you.
by iamcrabstix | Sep 20, 2018 | general parenting, rlt
Dear Boss Babies,
In case I’m too tired to mention or show in the next few months, I picked you the best Dada. The world is about to get a little crazy, I don’t know how our little unit is going to transition to being a family of four, but rest assured we will find our way and your Dada will be the backbone of this.
See, we’ve been here before two years ago, a little less experienced and a little less aware of how much love that we would feel for you boys. So the house may get a little messy, we will be tired, short-tempered with one another and Dada will probably hop off on his motorbike for some peace once in a while but we will get there and you will always come first.
In a Dada you will both have a ready-made best friend and cheerleader. He will never put pressure on you to be anything other than happy (and tidy) and that’s the best thing a Dad can do; as well as be there – which he will be, always. You will probably take this for granted because you won’t know any different and you know what? That is OK with us, because we don’t ever want you to know any different to that. Your only complaints should be that he works too hard and thinks too much to give you as many adventures as you desire.
I look forward to watching you all from the sidelines from your adventures together. Having two boys is not something we have any experience of in our immediate families, we will do our very best by you, that we do promise.
To paraphrase Tim Templeton from RLT’s favourite, The Boss Baby….
Every morning when you wake up, I’ll be there/
Every night at dinner, I’ll be there.
On every birthday, every Christmas …
I’ll be there.
Year after year after year.
We grow together.
by iamcrabstix | Aug 20, 2017 | rlt
60 weeks of microfashion
RLT was officially 60 weeks old this week! Time is going so fast! I last blogged about what he is wearing at thirty weeks, so an update is long overdue! From looking back at how many designer clothes he had in the first thirty weeks, I can definitely say that now he has active and eating on his own, I have started shopping a little more in supermarkets and high street for items for his wardrobe. However, he has a few key items which I just couldn’t resist which I’ve paid a little more for. Here are some key pieces from little man’s wardrobe over the past thirty weeks since the last update:
Joules Milford Jacket
This is an old favourite of ours – we’ve simply bought in the next size up! John Lewis had a Joules promotion on and I simply couldn’t resist as it has been an ideal coat for our unpredictable weather. So thrilled that this will come in handy until he is 18 months old.
Joules Dale Striped Hoodie
I confess that I saw this on a little boy at the play gym and thought he looked smart – so ordered it online. I find the quality of Joules baby clothes is fantastic and is definitely my go-to brand for outerwear.
Sportswear
Not my preference! But he does seem to be very comfortable and be able to move around freely in the sportswear that his Dad and Grandad have purchased for him over the past few months. Daddy bought him an England rugby kit, which being white is highly impractical for someone so small! Grandad opted for a Barcelona kit, which has Messi written on the back, which is ironic as that is exactly what he is!
I’ve been very impressed with H&M children’s wear and have found some very nice casual clothes in there. There seems to have been a sale on for quite a while now and I picked up 7 items including four jumpers for £23. I particularly like the navy american football style shirt pictured below and the stripey t-shirts they do. I’m not one for saying my child can’t wear pink because he is a boy, so it has been nice to get some pink in his wardrobe by mixing it with a navy stripe.
I am still astounded by the quality of the children’s clothing in Next having NEVER found anything which fits my style in there. I literally cannot remember ever buying an item of clothing from there until I had a child. Their rompers are fantastic, we picked up some lovely ones for holidays which were simple but good quality. We bought a blue trilby too, but sadly he decided very early on that it was never going to get on his head for more than 10 seconds. Next’s range of ‘superhero’ clothing is quite vast – not a massive fan myself, but my nephew loves it when him and RLT dress the same, so on the odd occasion I have been known to buy them a batman t-shirt as all of the boys at playgroup dress as superheroes!
We also now have the inclusion of footwear to the microfashion mix. As RLT has only just started walking, we are still sticking with the Clarks first shoe collection, first we had Doodles and now we have some Tiny Aspire ones too, which are a bit harder sole.
Check back in another thirty weeks for more!
by iamcrabstix | Jun 17, 2017 | rlt
My baba is one. I can’t quite believe how fast that has gone and yet I can’t remember what life was like without him. It has definitely been the happiest twelve months of my life.
He already has a very big personality and loves to laugh and dance.
Long may that continue, little man.
by iamcrabstix | Mar 31, 2017 | general parenting, rlt
My blogging has been somewhat sporadic recently. I’m finding it hard to adjust to being back at work full time. I don’t have enough time for anything.
I don’t feel like I have enough time to give my baby the attention he needs or deserves, I left for work this morning before he was even awake. He hasn’t seen that I am there for him today, like every other day, and I don’t like it. Likewise with my partner, he has a very demanding job, I feel like we are ships that pass in the night.
RLT has slept in my bed every night since the 1st March. At first, I needed it as much as him, but we have tried to put him in his cot and the cry at the moment of realisation is horrific. I can’t do that to him, apparently, separation anxiety is evident between eight and ten months anyway, mix into this that his routine has completely changed and the clocks changing.
He has also got four of his top teeth coming through at the same time – so that is nine months and six teeth, which is pretty good going. I am off on Monday’s, so this Monday we went to baby gym, took a walk, played in the garden and on the trike – full throttle to make the most of the time.
At work I feel like the new girl. I don’t know briefs sufficiently to do anything to full effect, I feel that I am picking up the ends of projects of which I don’t know the aims and objectives. My brain isn’t firing in meetings, I’m being asked for my opinions and I just sit there looking vacant. Not having a handover hasn’t helped, but thankfully the team of people  I work with are amazing.
I find I’ve changed as a person. I’m not as strong as I once thought I was. I have been spoken to in an unkind way by a colleague, whereas I would usually shrug it off, it affected me so deeply. I feel a little caught out that male colleagues can throw the fact that I took the time out to have a baby as me not being fully committed to the cause. I’m not a feminist in any way, but it sucked. I can’t help the fact that my partner couldn’t carry the baby, I had to and I wanted to, but that doesn’t give them the right to throw this at me when they don’t get their own way. I was simply doing the job I was employed for.
Life feels like it is built on sand at the moment for one reason or another. I need to find a way to get a solid routine for everyone. Time to make a plan!
