I have seen these questions going round on Facebook this week and I kept meaning to do them with my girls, so when Emma from Emmaand3.com tagged me to see what my girls thought of me, I stepped up to the challenge.

WITHOUT ANY prompting, I asked my girls  these questions and wrote down EXACTLY what they said. 

1. What is something mum always says to you?

TWEEN: I love you to infinity

TODDLER : Brush your teeth

2. What makes mum happy?

TWEEN : When we are happy.

TODDLER : Me getting dressed.

3. What makes mum sad?

TWEEN : Having to ask me to do things over and over again.

TODDLER : Me not getting dressed.

4. How does your mum make you laugh?

TWEEN : Telling me rubbish jokes

TODDLER : When she tickles me.

5. What was your mum like as a child?

TWEEN : Funny looking

TODDLER : A good girl

6. How old is your mum?

TWEEN : Errrm 35?

TODDLER : 6

7. How tall is your mum?

TWEEN : I think 210cm

TODDLER : 30 tall (???)

8. What is her favourite thing to do?

TWEEN : Spend time with the family

TODDLER: Wash up (??)

9. What does your mum do when you're not around?

TWEEN: Watch movies with Daddy

TODDLER : Go to work

10. If your mum becomes famous, what will it be for?

TWEEN : Being a good mommy

TODDLER: Musical statues

11. What is your mum really good at?

TWEEN : Sewing

TODDLER : Dancing

12. What is your mum not very good at?

TWEEN : Singing

TODDLER : Drawing

13. What does your mum do for a job?

TWEEN : She does stuff on the Lilypad

TODDLER : She works on her computer

14.What is your mum's favourite food?

TWEEN : Cake

TODDLER : Chicken

15.What makes you proud of your mum?

TWEEN : Because she always makes sure the family are happy

TODDLER : Because you love me.

16. If your mum were a character, who would she be?

TWEEN: Snow White

TODDLER : Belle

17. What do you and your mum do together?

TWEEN : Have fun

TODDLER : Swim

18. How are you and your mum the same?

TWEEN : We both love dancing

TODDLER : We have the same nose

19. How are you and your mum different?

TWEEN : I don't wear glasses.

TODDLER : Same!

20. How do you know your mum loves you?

TWEEN : She always hugs and kisses me

TODDLER : Tells me lots

21. What does your mum like most about your dad?

TWEEN : Me!

TODDLER : Getting married

22. Where is your mum's favourite place to go?

TWEEN : Hatton World together

TODDLER : Swimming with me

23. How old was your mum when you were born?

TWEEN : 24

TODDLER : 5

What do you think your child's answers would be?

Tweet

Hand's up if you have a toddler who never wants to go to sleep? *raises hand*

Don't get me wrong, she loves her bedroom and has a perfectly lovely bedtime routine with a bath, story and snuggle time but when the lights go out, suddenly there are a million reasons why she can't sleep.

So my husband regularly finds me asleep on the floor of the toddlers bedroom but this is not my preferred sleeping scenario, I much prefer to be snuggled up with my husband in our own bed (without the toddler creeping in) and not falling in an exhausted heap on the sofa (or the floor). 

This summer is (allegedly) set to be the warmest in 135 years* which means plenty of sun filled days! But experts** warn that sleeping in temperatures above 24°C means you’re likely to wake up during the night or only have a light, fragmented sleep, preventing you from getting the restful night you need. This is not ideal when you have a toddler who thinks that sleep is for the weak!

So have been listening to Silentnight’s sleep expert, Dr Nerina Ramlakhan who says: “We all love summer and the long evenings, but the increased temperatures can make it harder to sleep well, which can have a detrimental effect on our health, relationships and work. She added: “A good night's sleep is important in order to process information throughout the day as well as to repair and rebalance the body physically and mentally. Ideally, in order for us to sleep well, there needs to be a fractional temperature difference between our body and our brain – a warm body and a cool head!” 

Dr Nerina, has created a list of 5 top tips to help the nation keep cool and get the best rest when the weather is hot and humid: 

1. Stop your bedroom over-heating during the day by keeping curtains and blinds closed 

2. Wash your feet with cold water before getting into bed, and run your wrists under cold water 

3. Use light bed sheets and a summer duvet - 4.5 Tog recommended 

4.Try a Geltex mattress from Silentnight, with an innovative combination of an extremely elastic gel and air-permeable foam offering unparalleled breathability to prevent the body from overheating 

5. Finally, it is essential to stay well hydrated during the day and most importantly, don’t fret too much if you can’t sleep. Use the time to rest and think positive thoughts, then you will be extra productive the day after 
                 
We also have some slightly ‘alternative’ methods you can try to help you cool down at night. Here are the top quirky tips to try: 

1. Use a fan and place it so that it is blowing the air over a tray of ice - this will cool the room down as the ice melts 

2. Keep a plant mister containing water by your bed to spray on your face during the night 

3. Place a wet flannel in the fridge for an hour or so before getting into bed and lay it on your forehead to help you drift off 

4. Sleep in cool wet socks or even a damp T-shirt 

5. Chill your pillow case in the freezer before getting into bed 

*According to UK Met office 
**According to Meir Kryger, author of "A Woman's Guide to Sleep Disorders" and "A Good Night's Sleep” 

I have to be honest, I can't see me putting on wet socks or a damp t-shirt but a cooling spray would probably be my recommendation, especially for warm feet. The toddler is not a massive fan of being warm and loves to sleep with no clothes on ...... that is until the Silentnight hippo arrived and she just "had" to pinch his pyjamas!!

What are your top sleep tips?

Tweet

The start of the hayfever season has not been particularly kind to the toddler but she loves being outside and you don't need a big garden for them to enjoy getting involved, so here are our top tips for gardening with a toddler (even one with asthma).

Tiny Tools

Use child size tools, or in our case when we were scooping compost we simply used plastic cups. Using tools that that are safe and manageable for their little hands will totally enhance their experience. Plus, they are super cute and come in bright colours, which are much more exciting than grown up tools!

Let Them Get Dirty

I have spent what seems like forever trying to keep my girls clean but even the most immaculate child LOVES getting filthy. Let them put their fingers in the dirt and enjoy feeling the soil in their hands (note to self : just try not to squeal if they come across a worm!)

Let Them Pick Their Own Flowers

We took the toddler to the garden centre with us and (maybe foolishly), let her pick her own flowers. It seems that we will have extremely pink hanging baskets this year but it meant that she was very excited to plant them.

Grow Their Favourite Fruit or Vegetables

Most children love the sweetness and crunch of carrots, or strawberries and even tomatoes and they are not too difficult to grow be sure to plant a couple of things that your little one loves, as they will take great pleasure in eating their home grown fruit and veg. 

Hunt For Mini Beasts

Go on a hunt for minibeasts (e.g. snails, worms and insects) and explain how bugs and creepy-crawlies are good for the soil and plant. It is good to encourage them to hold these creatures gently and carefully so that they can see what minibeasts look like.

Water & Watch Them Grow

Plants (like children) need regular watering, so each day it is good to get them used to taking care of their plants and watching them grow. (Just don't let them eat anything until it is ripe .... that remains a regular challenge in our house!) 

Tweet