Parenting

5 smart tips on getting your kid ready for kindergarten without tears

06/01/2021 By Savanna Robinson Leave a Comment

Are you at that point of life where your kid is ready to begin kindergarten? Or first year of schooling? Whatever they call it where you live. It can be a daunting and harrowing time for both parent and child, so we try to do everything we can to make the transition as tear free as possible. I’m at this point again in my life this year. The eldest finished up her schooling journey a year ago, but now the youngest is set to begin kindergarten in 2021. So I’ve put together 5 smart tips on getting your kid ready for kindergarten without tears from my experiences the first time round with daughter #1, many years as a kindergarten teacher and this year’s journey with daughter #2.

5 smart tips on getting your kid ready for kindergarten without tears — Getting your kid ready for kindergarten

Tip 1- Preschooling

The number one tip to help in getting your kid ready for kindergarten (ie first year of schooling) is to make sure your child has some form of preschooling. Whether this be an actual preschool they attend, a preschool program at your daycare centre or at minimum going to a regular playgroup, it is a vital step to a successful transition to formal schooling. Your kid needs to have been away from your side (or your extended family) and worked on socialising with other adults and children.

During my experiences teaching kindergarten for many years it is the children who have never been away from their family for any time that have the hardest time adjusting to kindergarten. They are scared, may cry for weeks and don’t know how to interact with an adult and other children who will not just give in to their immediate demands. And as more demands are made on the curriculum requirements for these children beginning school each year it keeps getting harder for those with no preschooling opportunities.

Tip 2- Preparation

Start getting your child ready for kindergarten transition as early as you can. My 4 year old has been a little bit anxious about kindergarten since the beginning of last year when her little cousin who she’d spend time being cared for at her grandparents place started big school himself. So we had to work on reassuring her that kindergarten was still a year away for her and that she’d do many things that would help her not feel anxious or scared about it (some of which didn’t eventuate due to Covid restrictions, but still helped her feel more prepared and ready as she neared this milestone).

If in a preschooling program many of these preparations will be covered in that, but it doesn’t hurt to cover these at home too. Involve your kid in talks about how they will soon go to kindergarten as they are growing up. Touch on things they may do there at big school and that you will be getting ready for this exciting time. If they express any fears about what is to come, talk through that and work out a plan you can work on together to overcome those fears. Read stories or watch videos about starting school.

Participate in orientation programs the school provides when you are enrolled for the next year. In Australian schools these are usually in Term 4 of school. Pre-Covid orientations involved parent introductions to the school and services and usually 3 or 4 sessions for the children to visit and experience ‘big school’. 2020 made those orientations quite difficult for kids starting kindergarten this year. Every school around our state managed orientation in their own different way and adhering to social distancing requirements. Our little miss got a one hour visit where she watched a video and then made a Humpty Dumpty and did some tracing practice. She then came home with the library bag the school give each child starting and a booklet of information about starting school. Parents didn’t get to have their usual meeting, but were provided all information about the school via a link posted on the school’s social media page.

Tip 3- Practise

Now when I say practise I’m not just referring to the skills that your child will need to complete work in Kindergarten. Yes, your child should have experience with using pencils to draw, trace and colour, talking to other children and adults, looking at books and counting objects. But they need to also practise doing other tasks that are involved in a school day.

Things such as

Being able to dress themselves with everything ready for school.
Put on and take off items off like shoes, socks, jumpers, jackets, hats.
Open a lunch box or snack container.
Open packets of food – store bought, zip lock bag, gladwrap, etc.
Being able to sit on a child sized chair and pull it closer in to the table.
Being responsible for their own belongings.
Open zippers or clips on school bags.

Tip 4- Requirements

Every kindergarten class has items that your child will need for the year. Be prepared and arrange to have these in advance of the first day. Depending where your school is situated these could include uniforms, school bags, paint shirts, library bags, lunch box, drink bottle, devices, headphones, stationery, tissues, wipes, etc. Contact your school for what exact requirements they have as some can be very brand specific on what they request.

Tip 5- Involvement

Your child will feel more confident and comfortable with the idea of school if they are involved in the collection of their school requirements (see tip 4). Of course uniform shopping is often the easiest one for them to participate in as you need to check sizing and want it to fit now, but also last the school year. Don’t forget school shoes and practise wearing them so they don’t cause blisters on the first week of school!

Then you can ask for their input in items they will take with them every day. Buy a bag in their favourite colour. Test out which lunch boxes your child can open and likes. Involve them in as many of these small decisions as you can to help them feel ready for kindergarten. This is especially important for kids with anxieties.

Good luck

Hopefully these few tips help you manage your transition of getting your kid ready for kindergarten. If you would like some additional ideas for getting your kid ready for kindergarten and big school, see my download here of things teachers will be eternally grateful to you if you implement them. (COMING SOON)

For those looking for some printable activities for the practice with tracing activities see my friend Beck’s page.

To read more on being an organised mum click here.

Why it’s okay to have bored kids.

24/08/2019 By Savanna Robinson Leave a Comment

But I’m bored! Is that a phrase you have heard all too often these days? It seems we’ve become a society that cannot deal with bored kids. And we feel like we have to immediately placate them and fix the boredom with more and more activities. Usually with some sort of technological device in the mix.

Why it's okay to have bored kids- child looking out window covered in raindrops looking sad — Allow a little boredom to happen in their lives. It will be good for them.

Let me say one thing now. Stop it! Right now! You do not have to fix your kid’s boredom. This is not a problem! It is an opportunity!

Our human minds are not designed to be stimulated every moment of the day. They need time away from screens and the constant stimulation in our technologically crowded lives. We need to make sure our children have this down time from these things too.

Boredom sparks creativity

Letting there be bored kids in your life is going to help their creativity; now and later in life. If everything is handed to them, children don’t work out how to tackle challenges that crop up in life. And if they can’t handle the small things now or what to do in the backyard with limited resources, then how can we expect them to deal well with problems as adults.

Creative play is something we want to encourage in our children at an early age. It helps expand their minds and practice lots of skills they need, including using language in different forms. But they often don’t want to use their minds to invent new scenarios to play out if they’re just being fed a constant stream of YouTube videos. They sometimes need to have a bit of boredom as the stimulus to go and use those brains instead.

How to create an environment that supports bored kids?

Firstly, take the technology away. I won’t say it doesn’t have its uses at times, but for boredom to happen, and more creative experiences to occur, you are going to need to take it away from your child for a little bit. And yes, this may mean a few tantrums will happen.

Some of the best things to use to help support your bored kids expand their creative and thinking skills are objects with multiple uses. Children unused to doing some thinking for themselves are not going to cope well if you take the iPad off them and hand them something that has only one possible use (in their minds at least).

Instead try objects that can be a multitude of things. The old classic is the cardboard box. It can be a cubby, a bus, a rocketship or a shop. Other examples could be some paper and craft supplies that they have free reign over, or wooden blocks. Or a simple stick that can be a digging tool, a pen, a magic wand, and a paintbrush.

Once your child has gotten the hang of being able to creatively play with multiple use items, they will start to see the possibility in other items. My three year old is getting quite good at this now, and can make a phone from anything lying around the house and will have conversations with dolls about the right way to behave (based on what is expected at daycare). And given a set of dinosaur will happily retell The Three Billy Goats Gruff story. Other things like Busy Book activities by Heart Moments might also be used in multiple ways.

Hopefully you can now see the value in allowing yourself to see kids being bored as not a problem, but the opportunity to develop more creativity in their lives.

If you liked this post, you may enjoy more of my articles on parenting. Comment below what things your bored kids have enjoyed.

Cruising with toddlers -10 tips for amusing toddlers on a cruise

Make holiday life easier with these tips for cruising with a toddler.

When toilet training is finished – the stages of post toilet training

28/07/2019 By Savanna Robinson Leave a Comment

So you’ve just spent the last six months toilet training your child. And they can now use the toilet fairly regularly during the day with few, if any, accidents. But does this mean toilet training is finished? Not really, it seems. You still need to go though a few phases with your child before it is truly over. Here are a few of the next steps when toilet training is finished.

Stages of post toilet training - when toilet training is finished

The climbing on the toilet to flush

Exactly as it sounds. Your child is so interested in this new skill of toileting that they insist on closing the lid and climbing up to the flush the toilet, even though they still haven’t the strength to push the button down yet. Don’t worry! You can strategically assist them in the push, and then stand out of the way for them to hop down. A small stool can help in the dismount too.

Come with me

This stage is where your child will come over and whisper to you to come with them to the toilet. If you have company around they may even just use hand gestures and expect you to come follow. They cannot be convinced to start their journey to the toilet without you directly by their side.

Don’t come with me

Your child tells you they need to go the toilet, immediately followed by screaming at you to not follow them (even though the last trip required your immediate company).

Singing in the toilet and kicking the door side to side

This stage has your child singing songs they know, or have just made up, whilst doing their business. While you are required to stand outside and wait for both performances to finish. If the door is close enough, they start kicking this from one foot to the next, or unrolling the toilet paper roll.

Brings pants to you to put back on

Your child may have mastered making it to the toilet on time, but is not yet able to master the finer points of wearing underpants. You are required to help put these back on, plus any other items they needed to take off….like jackets or pants or shoes. (Don’t ask me why a jacket needs to come off. It just does, apparently!)

I can go by myself- followed by request for toilet paper wiping

Yes, your child is trying to be independent in this stage. Until the crucial moment of needing their bottom wiped. Then you are back on the needed list!

Toddler teaching dollies to go to toilet

Of course once you’ve mastered going to the toilet, then all your toys start talking about when they need to go to. You may need to reinforce that toys can only use the potty not the proper toilet if you don’t want any accidental toy drownings.

The distracted days

This is the “I’m holding onto myself, but really don’t want to miss my show unless you physically pick me up and force me to go” stage. I find if you pick them up and plonk them on the toilet is the only sure fire way to get them to go. Otherwise there will be an accident somewhere on the way.

The obsession with farts

Your child may already have know about passing wind and found it amusing, but it is so much funnier when emphasised by the acoustics of the smallest room of the house. when toilet training is finished

Obsession with body parts in toileting

You may find your child obsessed with which parts of the body they use for going to the toilet. It’s important to teach them the correct names of parts, but they will start wanting to use those words in every day conversation.

Hand washing refusal

It is tricky enough getting that going to the toilet sorted. Your child now starts to refuse to wash hands as that’s another huge task! I found using a wipe or the face washer was an easy solution when she was adamant that hand washing was not going to happen too.

Flush it for me as I’m still pulling up my pants.

Now your child likes to pull their pants up (so they don’t get a wedgie) and then go wash hands with the water at the right speed, so flushing becomes a job delegated to you again. when toilet training is finished

The can’t quite wipe bottom yet stage

Oh a fun stage! When your child wants to wipe, but can’t quite manage it themself yet and thus ends up with dirty undies. That if they’re picky like my girl, will insist on changing straight away when they notice it on the next toilet trip. And possibly an itchy bottom. Nappy cream to the rescue!

The public restrooms humiliation

The bane of every parent’s life, I think. Your child will loudly tell everyone within hearing distance what they think you are doing in the public restrooms and questions what certain things might be.

Desperate after bedtime routine trip

This is when your child who still wears nappies (or pull ups) to bed is adamant that they must go to the toilet right this very second. Sometimes it’s a delaying tactic. Other times it’s clear they they are just becoming more attuned to the need to go, and really don’t want it in their fresh new night time pants. when toilet training is finished

Doesn’t need you anymore

Suddenly your child who needed you for every single trip to the bathroom will wake up and just take themselves off to do their business. You will be shocked, but also slightly relieved. Just take note that they might slip back into any other stage though.

Out of bedtime nappies

This is typically the last stage of your toileting journey, and truly when toilet training is finished. Your child has gone several weeks with no wet nappies and is able to go just before bed and upon rising in the morning, and you are willing to let them try sleeping in undies. Of course I used our Slumber Dry mat on her bed, just in case of occasional accidents, but it’s been pretty good so far (which is great for when she pops into our bed).

How is your post toilet training journey going? Comment below with the stages you had. when toilet training is finished

What to do on a hot day with a toddler

78 reasons why my child is having a tantrum

10/07/2019 By Savanna Robinson Leave a Comment

We all know (or should know) that young children have tantrums. They just do. An immature mind and body that wants more than it can do, cope with or achieve….or that is allowed to do. Of course they are going to break down about it. Regularly. And loudly.

Now sometimes the reasons for the tantrums are understandable. But other times our logical adult minds are really just bewildered at the reason behind a tantrum. And this can be quite amusing when you look back on it (of course not at the time when your child is flailing around and screaming their lungs out in public!). And it’s helpful to know it is not just your child having a tantrum about the weirdest things.

So here are 78 reasons why my child is having a tantrum I have collated from our real life and online parenting groups.

Didn’t like that colour cup/bowl.
Wasn’t allowed a chocolate cupcake before bed.
Had to have her fingernails cut.
It’s bedtime.
The playdough stuck together.
The dog looked at her biscuit.
Didn’t like the car that pulled up next to us.
We turned right in the car, and she wanted to go left.
Had the iPad taken away.
The wifi wouldn’t work and play YouTube.
Mum killed a cockroach.
Her sister looked at her.
There’s no biscuits left (as she ate them all).
Had her hair washed.
Mummy went to get biscuits from the pantry instead of Nanny.
The dog looked at her.
Mummy said she had to have breakfast before snacks.
Mummy was going to buy the more economical 3 pack of Kinder Surprise instead of a single one.
Daddy didn’t listen and did the wrong thing.
The dog licked her.
Mummy couldn’t decipher that bingo socks meant flamingo socks.
Wasn’t allowed to have a bike on the trampoline.
Daddy undid her seat belt instead of mummy.
Sister opened the car door instead of mummy.
Mummy wouldn’t get Old McDonald’s for lunch.
Daddy used the wrong magic words.
Was asked to take her cloud dough out of the toy kitchen oven base.
Mummy took away the thing she was playing with, and then left to play with something else, but she really wasn’t finished with.
Didn’t get the sign out tablet at daycare
We stopped at a red light and he wanted to go.
Didn’t put a fork in the side he wanted.
Mummy was pumping milk out instead of putting it in.
Biscuit got smaller as she ate it.
Was told “You’re welcome”.
Was given the item she wanted.
Her hair got wet when stood under the shower.
Mummy wouldn’t let her help with using a tampon.
Wasn’t allowed to wipe Mummy’s bottom after toilet use.
The dog ate the food given to it.
Because frogs do not go *clap* la de da de da, la de da de da. They go ribbet. ribbet.
Wanted to wear shorts, not a skirt.
Wanted a big dress, not an ordinary dress.
Got an iceblock.
The sun set.
Mummy said “ready, set, go” when requested.
Daddy got home from work.
Peeled the banana wrong.
Got her the wrong banana from the Free for kids basket at Woolworths.
Asked for 2 Smarties. Got given 2 Smarties.
She wanted more medicine.
Didn’t want to have medicine at all.
Wanted the other Elsa undies.
Wouldn’t let her put a 4^th lot of toothpaste on brush.
She lost her bandaid
Had the toy she stole off another kid taken away from her.
Didn’t want to walk.
Wanted to take the stroller.
Wasn’t allowed to take jumper off.
Mummy put clothes on after a shower.
When she ate the last piece of chocolate.
Detangle spray got on her shoes.
Mummy or Daddy starts singing with her.
Clothes are too tight.
Shoes were too tight.
Ponytail was too tight.
Seat belt was too tight.
Daddy sat on her spot on the lounge.
Sister sat in her seat at the table and used her spoon.
Sister goes near her when items are too tight.
Wanted Anna hair, not Elsa hair.
Wanted to go to the shops when already there.
Wanted the garage opened. Got opened. Tantrum ensues.
The wrong video started playing.
Mummy cut the toast the wrong way.
Mummy made toast instead of a sandwich when toast was requested.
Wasn’t allowed to wear the ballerina dress.
No-one would take her to the park.
Screaming just because it was fun.

Do you have any reasons for tantrums you could add to the list. Let me know in the comments. Or come join the conversation in my Facebook Group.

Why toddlers drive us crazy (or at least a little bit nutty)

The unconventional guide to toilet training tips

02/03/2019 By Savanna Robinson Leave a Comment

We are just now into our third week of our youngest being toilet trained. Well, two weeks of no accidents during the day surely counts, right. Toilet training your toddler can be a huge and tiring job. It is not always the easiest task to achieve in your parenting life if you are doing most of the work for it. So I thought I’d pass along some of the toilet training tips we’ve tried- and what worked and what didn’t.

I swear it was super easy with my first, as she basically got the training part done at her 3 days a week daycare. And it just clicked with her a lot quicker it seemed…though maybe that’s just old age making me think it was quicker. (It was a while ago seeing she’s now 16). I didn’t really need to look at any toilet training tips then.

But with our recent experience with Miss just turned 3, it seemed to take forever for it to click. Plus I was only working part-time, so a good deal of it was spent at home with her.

I’d read up on the 3 day training method. And other different theories and toilet training tips for your child, but these are the things that really seemed to work for us.

We started talking about toilet training when she started taking an interest in recognising her nappy was wet and when others went to the toilet. It’s part of mum life to have a little person accompany you to the bathroom every time. Of course when I say ‘we’, it’s pretty much just me. The mum. Dad’s don’t seem to take an awful lot of interest in teaching little girls to go to the toilet. I’m not sure if it’s the same when a little boy is in the mix? (Let me know in the comments of your experience there of toilet training tips with the boys). toilet training tips

What equipment you will need depends on if you want to have a potty you can place anywhere in the house (quite a few in my mother’s group have placed in it the lounge room in front of the television the child is watching) or if want to just use the big toilet with an insert in for your toddler’s little bottom. toilet training tips

We started with an insert seat first. It’s padded with cute little ducks on it. And it came with a hook so you can hang it on the wall when not in use (something I never realised how handy it was till my mother got the same one for their place and put the hook on the wall).

But the adult toilet was a bit big for her. So we tried the little step stool I keep in my pantry. That let her get on the toilet, but she wasn’t happy with her legs swinging and not being able to put them down to feel secure.

So after a while of no real success, and multiple toileting accidents (lot of wet pants, wet lounge, wet puddles everywhere) I decided to go full force in her toilet training over the summer holidays. We stocked up on LOTS of size 2-3 undies. Peppa Pig, Emma Wiggles and Dorothy the Dinosaur, girly dinosaur ones, mermaid ones. Lots! I wanted to be able to send her to daycare while toilet training and not have to wash multiple times a week. We were probably averaging at least 3 wet pairs a day for daycare before she’d ask for a nappy to go on. toilet training tips

I got a toilet training tips book from the shops one day that she was fascinated with it. It was very cool, and tailored to girls. Plus it had a button you could push that made the toilet flushing noise and cheering at the end. I must say it was a favourite book for weeks.

We bought a potty. Made the mistake of letting my husband ASK her which one she wanted when she originally picked the cheapest one in store. No. We had to get the pink Minnie Mouse one that cheered when you pulled the handle on it.

She liked the Minnie Mouse potty for about a week, till she accidentally did a poo on it. And scared herself. Oh well! We went back to trying to encourage going using the insert seat.

Then I reread a few articles on the 3 day potty training again and any more toilet training tips I could find, and about how it might not actually work fully in 3 days, but it’s about still getting them to continue trying. And finding the right bribe currency for your toddler.

So we tried that. I stocked up on a few treats that she liked when at the grocery store with her. Smarties (chocolate beanie type sweet) worked at first. Kinder Surprise was always a good one but costly to do except as a big reward. Lollipops worked a couple of days. Oh and what she called Wiggly Worms (a new mini Curly Wurly bar thing that looks a bit like a chocolate worm squiggle..she loves them! Curly Wurly Squirlies are their real name). She also spotted a Peppa Pig magazine that had about 6 toys and 3 colouring books/magazines in it. That worked for a bit too.

I had a gift voucher to use up at a book store, so stocked up on a couple of Polly Potty books- the story and the sticker book. When those arrived she quite enjoyed putting stickers in the chart at the end of the book, and in the story. toilet training tips

I also used some little sticker reward charts I had left over from teaching, that she got for doing a wee or poo in the toilet. 1 tiny sticker for a wee, 2 for a poo. And when it reached the end of chart (20 stickers) she could get a big reward like her Kinder Surprise. At first it took a long time to fill a chart, but when we combined getting the sticker on it, plus the chocolate and a big song and dance when she successfully used the toilet or potty, they started to fill in quicker.

Another big step was in actually getting a 2 step stool for her to climb more easily onto the toilet and have something to rest her feet on. I originally got that for her to reach the basin tap easier. But she discovered that it was great for in the toilet too, and moved it in there. Luckily we had just enough room it could tuck down the side next to the bowl after use and not take up too much room. And let the door close when not in use.

We got to the stage of her being quite successful for wees at home, but she was terrified of the toilet at daycare. (Doing poos on the toilet typically takes longer to achieve). No matter what we tried, she’d wear undies to daycare, but would refuse to sit on the toilet there even with her other little girl friends who were training too. Thankfully the staff were very understanding and knowledgable about the fickleness of toddlers and kept gently trying there.

She would also ask to put her nappy pants (pull ups) on if she wanted to do a poo, as it must be more comforting to them having only ever done it that way. One would go on, she’d go hide in a corner to do her business, and then was happy to get changed out of it and back to undies.

To try and help with the fear of daycare toilets we had our next toilet training tip of visiting every single rest room around and about town. We’d purposely go out to the shops somewhere and go visit the parent restroom where available. This let her see some little toilets in action, even if she didn’t want to sit on them the first few times. But they were exactly the same as at daycare, so helped her see that they were in lots of different places.

At this point we could go about just in undies during the day and she would let us know if she needed to go for a wee. (With a little packed bag in the car of wipes and spare clothes just in case). So being out and getting to visit an exciting parent room seemed to do the trick for it finally clicking. Plus getting to play in the little play area in the parent room after visiting the toilet made it so much more appealing.

A few days of these trips and she was suddenly much more willing to have a go at daycare. First just sitting on the toilet there (and getting multiple stamps up her arms for this achievement) and then actually doing a wee there. We were all so proud that day!

Since then she has been accident free all day, and asks to go to the toilet for wees or poos if I’m around, or will sometimes take herself off if I’m super busy with some other task. Of course now I’m slave to hanging around till she has finished to help her wipe her little bottom. But that role will hopefully not be as long!

Our next step will be undies at bedtime. Unfortunately you can’t train for that as the body has to be ready for this. But that’s more for a post later in the year when we reach that stage. (Though daddy has accidentally put her to bed minus a nappy the one night he was in charge. And she came into our bed half the night. So thankful there wasn’t an accident there).

If you’ve ready for toilet training and liked these toilet training tips, download our free toilet training tips checklist (coming soon). Or check out these recommendations of items that may assist you.

And for more on our adventures in parenting, click here. Or come in the conversation in my Facebook Group. toilet training tips

What to do on a hot day with a toddler

30/12/2018 By Savanna Robinson Leave a Comment

Keeping toddlers amused during a heat wave.

This week in greater western Sydney we are expecting to see a massive heat wave with temperatures in the high 30s, and 3 days in a row of 41°C. For a mum with MS heat intolerance, this can be a bit problematic, as any time out in that heat can incapacitate me for a few days, which is not great when you are the main carer for a toddler. So here is my plan for what to do on a hot day with a toddler.

Air Conditioning

It is an essential to have access to air conditioning if you wish to have a cooperative toddler. Hot, cranky toddlers are not someone you want to be dealing with for a whole week! If you don’t have air conditioning available at home, try to get out to places like a shopping centre where you can be in the cool for part of the day at least.

Paddling Pool

Although it can be too hot to be out in the middle of the day (and high risk of sunburning in the smallest amount of time exposed to the sun), it can be quite handy to have a paddling pool available. An early morning or late afternoon/evening splash in the pool can help cool down the crankiest toddler. Just make sure there is an adult available to supervise at all times!

Ice treats

Frozen treats like ice blocks or frozen fruit are terrific to cool down your toddler. And are a fun way to eat food for them. Give them a bowl to place ice blocks in when they get too cold or drippy for them…this can also help save the mess on the furniture if eating inside too.

Fully stocked fridge

Have a fully stocked fridge and pantry can help tame the toddler in a heatwave. We all know toddlers graze constantly during the day due to little tummies. So having enough snacks and meals ready in the fridge and not needing to go down to the local shop with a hot, cranky toddler can be a great help. Luckily for our heatwave we’ve just had Christmas, so of course we are fully stocked with salads and cut ham, plus so many snacks galore with fresh fruit and of course chocolates and biscuits. What to do on a hot day with a toddler

Toys

If keeping your toddler indoors for a long heat wave, it can be handy to rotate the toys they have out to play. If you just leave a couple of things out, and hide other stuff away, you can create new appeal for old toys when you bring out something different each day.

Toilet training

A heat wave can be a great time to work on toilet training your toddler. It’s hot. They don’t need much in the way of clothing on, and can even run around in the nude if you’re willing. Any wet clothing will also dry in record time, so don’t have to worry about it piling up in the laundry!

Movies

A good way to keep a toddler amused inside in a heat wave is to put on a kids movie. Or if adventurous take to a cinema for the latest flick showing. You may end up watching the same movie over and over…but it’s a small price to pay for a happy toddler in a heat wave. I always like to do computer work next to my toddler if movie watching in the heat. Or get a few jobs done around the house.

iPad apps

If the appeal of movies has worn off, you can try switching to the iPad for some games. Our favourites here are ABC animals, Dinosaur Puzzle Game and Smart ABC, along with ABCKIDS iview and listen apps.

Busy Bags

Grab a busy bag of activities that you can do with your toddler, or they are capable of doing on their own. These can be individualised to your child’s age and needs.

Those are just some of the ideas I use for keeping my toddler amused in a heat wave. Hopefully these will help you maintain some sanity while battling the toddler in a heat wave war.

But if you need some more ideas and suggested schedule for keeping your toddler amused on a hot day, then come check out my new download you can purchase.

hot days with toddlers ideas download — What to do on a hot day

Need more tips for your toddler, click here.