motherhood

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

17/10/2018 By Savanna Robinson Leave a Comment

We just returned from our second cruise with our toddler daughter and thus this has been top in my mind. Cruises are great cost effective holidays but what is there available on a family cruise when cruising with toddlers to do and how do you keep them occupied for a week or longer? These are the 10 tips for cruising with toddlers that we discovered and used.

#1 Choose a family friendly cruise line.

Some are better than others at catering to the needs of your whole family. Our last 3 cruises have been with Carnival Australia Cruises on the Carnival Spirit from Sydney, and they are just brilliant for the littlest members of your family. Do your research first to check they have great options for your toddler.

#2 Utilise Kids Club.

Cruise lines that cater for children generally have a Kids club option included. Although your child can cruise international waters from 12 months old, the kids club will not take them until 2 years of age. We still found plenty to keep our daughter amused when we married on a cruise just before she was 14 months old. Check the details of what they allow with their Kids club (do they change nappies, provide meals/snacks, only open certain times at sea and at port?). Carnival Spirit was a good fit for us with a 2-year-old (approaching 3). We just provided nappies and wipes for any changes needed during her time there. We had an old-fashioned mobile to carry with us so we could be contacted if she needed us.

#3 Set dinner time in the dining room.

If you are able to get a set dinner time where you go to the same table each night for dinner it so much easier with toddlers. Even if you end up with the late seating as we did (which was a struggle when cruising with a toddler, but we made it work with late rising), a permanent seating is so much easier as the waiters get to know you and the kids by name. They miss their own families from being at sea for 8 months, so will do their best to help entertain or distract upset toddlers, or even take them on a walk around the dining room so parents and other family members can eat dinner without running around the whole time. On our first cruise with her, she got cheap plastic kids sunglasses to wear at meals from the Maitre d’. This time she was into colouring, so got about one menu/colouring book a day, plus two rubber ducks and flower lei. And lots of photo opportunities with staff who just adored her being around.

There are usually several different types of eating places on board. Buffet style, sit down restaurant, café, fancy high priced restaurant. And all had things that fussy toddlers will eat. And are willing to get different dishes if something is not liked. On one occasion when Miss 2 wasn’t in the mood for eating when her meal came out, they even got a fresh one brought out when she started to get hungry again.

#4 Stairs are your friend.

Believe me, there are SO many stairs on a cruise ship, and your toddler will love to go up and down them all multiple times. Even if the ship is being a bit rocky. Of course, this is much easier with toddlers that have been walking for a while. I personally tripled my usual step count every day on the cruise just by following her around. And you get the added benefit of burning off those 3-course meals too! There are lots of levels to explore and take a long walk if that’s what’s needed to burn off some excess energy.

#5 Shows

The productions shows that are for general viewing are enthralling for toddlers with the lights, music, and dancing. Our little darling even clued into the fact that shows happened after dinner, and where they happened, so would try to sneak out early from the restaurant and start heading that way seeing they were both on the same level.

#6 Shore tours

Little kids enjoy tours at ports of call just as much as adults. A lot of the bus tours through Carnival take under 3 for free if sitting on a parent’s lap. And baby carriers are so useful for walking around and exploring the surrounds as a family. (I may have even jerry-rigged a sarong as a wrap to carry a tired toddler when I left my carrier onboard for one port).

#7 Elegant night

Toddlers can get dressed up fancy too! It is something a little bit special that they probably don’t get to do too often. Be sure to pack a bib or similar that will cover their outfit for if they decide ‘that spaghetti bolognese is life’ like our toddler did. And they will be so cute you will want to take heaps of photos, which leads me to #8.

#8 Photo opportunities

Cruise ships ALWAYS have photographers snapping shots at different moments on board. From coming onboard, to dinners, to ports of call to elegant/formal nights. So many opportunities to buy some great formal shots or just take your own candid ones. Most toddlers love to see photos, even if they won’t cooperate for all snaps.

#9 Free movies screening

Toddlers really seem to love anything on the big screen! And you can easily whisk them away if they start to get bored, unlike your usual movie theatre. In-room channels usually offer movies on rotation too. ABDKIDS was even shown on Carnival Spirit when the satellite was cooperative and in range.

#10 Opportunity to meet other little travellers

If you are on a family friendly ship, you are very likely to meet other families with little ones too. Our toddler made friends with a couple of boys a bit older than her seated a couple of tables away at dinner. It was such a delight to see them play around in between dinner course and chat with others from their family. Our little extrovert was not at all shy about telling everyone about her day and showing off her latest outfit.

As you can see, although toddlers can prove challenging at times, you can still find plenty of things to keep them amused on a cruise. Please come back and let me know of any other cruising with toddlers activities to do on board!

Road trips with kids – toddler road trip essentials

Breastfeeding is hard. Breastfeeding is easy. The pros and cons of breastfeeding in modern society.

07/01/2018 By Savanna Robinson 5 Comments

The pros and cons of breastfeeding

It’s good to see breastfeeding being actively promoted these days as something you should try to do with your baby. For many years this biological functions was deemed as beneath humans to do and that feeding artificial milk, that though vastly improved on previous generations is still not the same as what our body naturally produces, was the best way to go. Which has led to a lack of understanding about how breastfeeding works and to a misguided view of some that a child nursing is an act not to be observed by the common man, woman or child (but yet scantily clad women are shown regularly in advertising and movies that exposes even more flesh than a child being nursed). And breastfeeding can is hard, but breastfeeding is easy as well. The pros and cons of breastfeeding are many, but in this post I will tackle just a few.

Breastfeeding is easy.

Breastfeeding is the easiest way to feed a baby. The mother’s body creates the exact right nutrients for the stage of development of the child, from colostrum for the first few days after birth, to milk for a newborn, an infant and a toddler (if you are lucky enough to get that far). It comes already prepared with no need for mixing, heating or finding a bottle the child will accept. Going out to the shops requires no other preparation than having a nursing bra and top with easy access. (I’ve found ready-made nursing tops are not essential, just one loose enough to lift is good. Skin tight clothes just leads to boob compression, which you really want to avoid).

To some women, breastfeeding comes really easily and they are able to keep going as long as their child wants. Or till they reach the milestone they were hoping for whether 3 months, 6 months, or 2 years. And they absolutely love it!

But to some other women breastfeeding is a journey fraught with pain, discomfort and body issues. They dread the thought of feeding a child in public. To these women breastfeeding is hard!!

Breastfeeding is hard

The Village

With our disjointed society in the 21st Century, we have lost our sense of ‘the village’ where your close relatives all live nearby and can help out with the baby and child rearing tasks. You’ve heard the expression “It takes a village to raise a child”? It is so true! Having your first child can be such an unknown in life – so many new things to learn as a parent and as a mum.

We no longer constantly see women around us breastfeeding their children. We don’t always have our mum, sisters and cousins, aunts and girlfriends around us to see this skill practised. There is no longer a whole village to consult on how to do this strange new skill.

The need for professional breastfeeding help

And although breastfeeding is a natural act, it can take time to learn how to do it – for both mother and baby. With my first daughter it was over two weeks till I felt comfortable enough to know I could continue with breastfeeding. Even with my second I was ready to throw in the towel at 6 weeks with some issues, except I know that I could do this as I had before.

Because of the lack of a Village to ask about issues with breastfeeding in our modern society and our modern focus of needing to have our babies in hospitals, we have a lack of firsthand information on these vital skills. Luckily some people have seen this need for more education and we now have Internationally certified Lactation consultants based in at least all major hospitals or offering private services to families.

Issues that make breastfeeding hard.

There are a number of issues that can occur with breastfeeding that can make it especially hard to continue. Tongue ties and lip ties is a very common one heard about lately. It can cause a lot of latching and discomfort issues and undiagnosed case can cause so much pain or feeding problems, like loss of weight, that many mothers stop before they can find the real cause.

Blocked ducts are often painful and hard to predict. I had none with baby #1. Quite a few with the second! If left untreated they can also lead to mastitis- an even more painful and serious condition needing antibiotic treatment.

Thrush is another common culprit. Untreated it can be passed back and forth from mother to child.

Another highly under-reported condition with breastfeeding is called vasospasm. With two causes for the blood vessels tightening and going into spasm; trauma to the nipple or a condition related to Reynaud’s phenomenon. It causes painful cramping in the nipple and breast tissue, often accompanied by a whitening of the nipples and then colour change from red to blue/purple.

This was one I discovered with my second child, and only became aware of it being a thing after posts from other mum’s in my online mother’s group. It made feeding so painful on one side that even though I’d experienced a reasonably pleasant breastfeeding journey with my first daughter, that I felt like giving up when number 2 was only 6 weeks old.

Thankfully I found out about vasospasm, and with some advice from a lactation consultant I increased my magnesium which saw relief come quickly. I’m so grateful for finding that solution as I successfully breastfed her to 22 months…a massive achievement!

The pros and cons of breastfeeding can make or break your breastfeeding journey

There’s a lot to learn with breastfeeding. How do I get a correct latch? How do I know when a newborn is finished feeding. How can you judge if they’re getting enough milk. What to do if away from baby for an extended period. What medications you can take when feeding. All of these issues can make it seem too hard, too painful or too much work without the right support for many women to continue their journey. And past experiences with bad advice from some professionals that should know better can make women not want to even give it a go on their next baby.

For further support with your breastfeeding journey visit Australian Breastfeeding Association.

I’m hoping that as we become more educated as a society on what is hard and easy about breastfeeding, that more women are able to have a successful and enjoyable breastfeeding journey for as long as they and the child are wanting. And for those finding they have one of these hard issues I’ve mentioned (or any others) that they can get the right support to help them, instead of just feeling like they have no other choice but to give up.

Comment below on how your breastfeeding journey has been.

References

Australian Breastfeeding Association (2017, August) ‘Vasospasm’. https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/vasospasm

How to stop breastfeeding a toddler (who doesn’t want to give up)

Road trips with kids – toddler road trip essentials

15/11/2017 By Savanna Robinson 13 Comments

We recently took a car trip to Canberra from Sydney with our toddler to see Floriade in Canberra. As we journeyed, these are the thoughts and ideas that came to me about surviving a long car trip with a toddler and other kids. (And yes, some of this did happen to us! ) So here are my musings on road trips with kids and toddler road trip essentials to make your trip more enjoyable. Road trips with kids -toddler road trip essentials

Musings on road trips with kids.

Be well rested beforehand! A long drive and a cranky toddler is not something to handle on little sleep. Same goes for older kids who like to ask hundreds of questions.

Don’t let your toddler take off with one of their drink bottles before you leave the house. It will get left behind! Thank goodness you packed another! Road trips with kids -toddler road trip essentials

Similarly for the older children, check that they have all things they require for the trip packed, as heading back home after an hour’s driving is not a nice option.

Train your children to like music you don’t mind listening to. Otherwise you’ll be stuck listening to the same album of children’s songs for hours on end! Or with older children give them a listening device and earphones. Road trips with kids -toddler road trip essentials

Don’t put on moisturiser before feeding them at least 2 snacks. It is nearly impossible to open a packet of biscuits with your hands all smooth!

When you stop at McDonalds (as let’s face it, it’s one of the only regular stops on Australian Highways where you can get food fast enough to appease the ravenous toddler who just finished biscuits, a cheese Stringer and a banana), DON’T let the toddler catch sight of the children’s playground if you don’t have time for a play session. There will be major tantrums!! Road trips with kids -toddler road trip essentials

Be prepared for the toddler to practise a variety of vocalisations in an attempt to amuse themselves.

If you stop and wake toddler for a break stop, it is doubtful they will sleep for the rest of the day. Choose carefully!

For the older kids pack some games they can play in the car without needing your help (particularly if you will be the only adult in the car). Lists of things they need to find can be good for those who are able to read. Electronic devices such as tablets or music players are very handy for game apps or movies to watch, providing they are charged before leaving. (Remember to pack all chargers for them too!) Road trips with kids -toddler road trip essentials

Toddler road trip essentials

Pack a snack bag with things that are easily managed by your toddler, and that won’t be too messy. Some things you could include: biscuits, cheese Stringers, yoghurt pouches, fruit, muesli bars, water bottle.
Take a small basket of toys for the car trip and the time away. Nothing with little tiny pieces that can easily get lost. Of course, this basket will be upended to be used as a drum 30 minutes into the trip.
Have a back seat mirror on the back headrest for your rear facing child. You can see them, and they can see you. Saves on the screaming! (well …sometimes it does. Let’s face it, sometimes these toddlers just want to experiment with screaming).
A change of clothes in the nappy bag for drink bottle spills or nappy explosions is a great idea!
A sleeping bag, blanket and comfort toy for bedtime can give familiarity to a strange location. Order a cot/crib for your toddler too if available.
Take toddler-sized sunglasses as they will grizzle if the sun is in their eyes too long! Road trips with kids -toddler road trip essentials

Hopefully following some of these tips, your next road trip with kids will be enjoyable. What essential thing do you think is required on a car trip with kids? Comment below. Road trips with kids -toddler road trip essentials

Ever wonder why toddlers act the way they do? Check out here.

Being a mother is tough – working out this parenting gig (again)

06/08/2017 By Savanna Robinson 8 Comments

Being a mother is tough some days! Real tough! You just want to give it up, throw in the towel and go do something less stressful. Memories of days where you could eat a hot meal in peace are just that- a distant memory. And I’m not saying parenting can’t be tough for the guys too. But a lot of it is still dealt with by mothers. Although Stay at Home dads have increased in numbers in recent years, they still are a minority. Mums are known for having to think 6 billion thoughts about the needs of others, before themselves. Breastfeeding- nope, my husband can’t do that and the determined toddler has refused a bottle since she was 6 months old. Settling- when at her worst hysterical moments, only mummy can calm her down. Organising meals- yep, you guessed it. Mummy again. Sorting out the next season’s clothes. Wondering which school they will go, if they’ll make friends easily, and how you’re going to afford it. The whole world of motherhood is hard.

Being a mother of a toddler

My latest moment of finding being a mother hard was this morning. I sat down to breakfast, after dealing with the rigmarole in getting a 3 course toddler breakfast (well toast, cereal and fruit counts, right) and this happened. Eleanor lost control of her cereal bowl and it spilled cereal and milk over the corner of the table, my legs, my slippers and the floor. My little one sat there in her highchair going ‘Oh! Oh!’, whilst milk dripped further down my leg.

I sat there in shock to start with, and then tried to figure out how I could mop up this mess without making it worse. Of course there was not a wipe in reach (a rare event when you have a toddler in the house). And not even the packet of serviettes was in range! And no one else is at home! I can scarcely ask the little one to pop over to the sink and grab some paper towels. She’s safely strapped inside her high chair. And it’s a slim chance she could follow that instruction just yet.

So of course my toast was very cold when I finally got everything cleaned up. Eleanor wanted to have some of that too, even though she had the same thing, Vegemite toast, right in front of her… apparently mine is better. Why do they need to eat everything that mummy has? Although I guess it might help with my weight loss plan that she demands every snack I have. In reality it’s probably just an easy way to see something isn’t poisonous. Mummy is eating that one, so it’s okay. Heavens knows what this stuff in front of me could have in it!

Then we get to dressing for the day. The toddler is dressed by mummy. Thankfully she’s not yet at the age where they insist on dressing in the most weather inappropriate clothes. I realise halfway through getting myself dressed that I have completely forgotten how to dress as a normal non-breastfeeding person. Which is rather strange as she only feeds mornings and evenings now. But my mind still insists on dressing in accessible clothing as it’s just been so long since I dressed any other way. If I had to return to teaching work right now, I don’t know how I’d cope! Or be able to be dressed before 9am for that matter.

At least today we have avoided the excessive toddler grumpiness, over-tiredness and refusals to go to sleep. I’m sure that last night as I tried to get her to sleep for the umpteenth time that I was practically banging my head against the cot rails questioning why I ever thought having another was a good idea. I love her more than words can express, but sleep deprivation is torturous…especially when the person keeping you up can’t express why they won’t go to sleep. Is it teeth hurting, nightmares, the cold winter night or just wanting to snuggle with mummy?

And so ends my day. With those numerous thoughts still running through my mind, and finally a few moments peace to myself as both girls are in bed. I’m sure I should be in bed myself, but that’s not going to happen! Too many things I want to do that can’t be done whilst in mum mode. And even though I’m exhausted and frustrated with those little things when they happen, I just have to look at my girls to know that I’ll gladly do it all again for them tomorrow and the next day. Yes, being a mother is hard! But the rewards of spontaneous hugs, wet kisses and baby snores are pretty damn good too!

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