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For as long as I can remember, I have read stories with my girls, (I am not sure whether this is linked to my eldest being the biggest story teller around) but reading is a big part of our every day routine. My youngest daughter is at the stage of loving stories that rhyme while my eldest loves stories that she can read by herself. So when we were introduced to the Reading Eggs Great Literacy Challenge, we were a little intrigued as to what it was all about.

We found that your child can join thousands of children across the UK taking part in the Reading Eggs Great Literacy Challenge – which is a nationwide effort to inspire children to read! This FREE event will give your child 5 weeks FREE access to Reading Eggs – the online reading programme that teaches children aged 3-13 the literacy skills needed for lifetime reading success.

We have supported Tommy's and raised money through the Water Babies splashathon, so are thrilled to be able to continue this support through Reading Eggs.

We also love that there are games, songs, golden eggs and other rewards which, along with feeling proud of their reading, can motivate children to keep exploring and learning. We were also interested to find that over 90% of parents found a noticeable improvement in their childrens reading after using Reading Eggs. So we are delighted to be able to share a FREE trial for Lilypad readers!

Click here to sign up for your free trial and see for yourself how your child’s reading improves by using Reading Eggs!

Happy Reading!!

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Today I did something that is usually reserved for Nanny and my youngest daughter.

Today I went to a Water Babies swimming lesson.

Today I got very wet!

Mum is on holiday and although the swimming lessons are their "thing", I didn't want the little one to miss out on her lessons, so I donned my swimming costume and took the plunge.

We were one of the first ones there so had the pool to ourselves and the little fish was keen to show me how she puts her face in the water and kick kick kicks. I loved how interactive the class was and I knew some of the things that we were doing as they get repeated over and over again in our bath tub. I wasn't however prepared for Lindsey, our swimming teacher getting the little one to wash my face and wash my hair before we got started. Thankfully I wasn't going for the glamorous yummy mummy look!

Mom had said only a few weeks ago how the little one was refusing to put her face in the water but this week she was happily blowing bubbles and swimming under water. Yes, actually swimming under the water. I was astounded.

She didn't like lying on her back with a plastic duck on her tummy, she much preferred to throw the duck across the water, much to her amusement but her favourite thing is launching herself into the water. Firstly, she literally ran off a huge float and jumped into the water but again, I was astounded at her diving into the water from a sitting position on the side. I have seen her pretend to dive in the bath at home but seeing her dive into the water with no fear is a true testament to the Water Babies process.

I am now even more envious of their weekly swimming lessons and am so pleased that I could take her today, despite being a little nervous that she would be upset that Nanny wasn't taking her. But in the end, just like the little one, sometimes you just have to dive in.

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As part of our baby blog series and after the safe and gorgeous arrival of our new nephew, we are delighted to show a review of the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Microwave Steriliser from our baby blogger, Suzi .....

As a first time mum and having not been around many new born babies, I must admit that I did not have a clue about where to start when it came to feeding and sterilisation.

My first reaction to the abundance of sterilising products on display at a baby show I attended was; does a little person really require all this equipment?! So I was extremely relieved when my sister in law asked me to review the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Microwave Steriliser and assured me it was all I needed to get started.

I began motherhood breast feeding my new born baby boy and after a few days, also started to express and combine feeds with formula bottles. From this day on the Tommee Tippee steriliser has not left my microwave and I can honestly say it really does what it claims; sterilises in super quick time, is easy to load and provides a great sterile surface for making up the feeds. It took a few attempts at reading the instructions to work out the steps required to ensure sterilisation, but this was most likely to do with my ‘baby brain’ from lack of sleep than anything else, and once cracked the process is actually very simple. 

A great feature of this product is that it keeps the items inside sterile for 24 hours and it can therefore hideaway in the microwave with all the sterilised bottles, saving on all important kitchen work surface space. Whilst it’s designed to hold four Tommee Tippee products, another plus is that it also works perfectly with other brands of bottles and accessories, including breast pumps. My only  wish is that it would hold more than four bottles, but in all honestly if the container was any bigger it wouldn’t fit into most microwaves and I think Tommee Tippee have probably used all the space possible for this type of steriliser.

In summary, this steriliser is practical, efficient and is serving my baby’s need for sterilised bottles perfectly. To top it off Tommee Tippee include a soother in the package which came in very handy at 3am the other morning when nothing else seemed to be working! I will definitely be recommending this steriliser to my sister who is due in January with her first baby, and like me hasn’t had much prior practice!

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Seperation Anxiety. It is that label that is put on children when they are seperated from their parents, whether it is because mum has to return to work or parents are simply going out for the evening. My eldest daughter was never overly dramatic about me leaving when she was a baby (she has made up for the drama as she has got older) and I was a little smug about bringing up a well adjusted little lady. Obviously my youngest daughter came along to ensure that I landed back down in the land of the living with a crash.

It's unclear why some children pass through this phase with barely a whimper while other children become totally consumed by it (daughter number one and two are prime examples of this) Separation anxiety tends to go up and down throughout the toddler years but most parenting experts agree that the period of extreme clinginess usually passes between 18 months and 2 1/2 years and that by age 3 they should be fully out of it. (only another 6-12 months to go then).

We blogged previously about separation anxiety and water wobbles at the little ones swimming lessons but most recently she has become even more attached and even more distressed at any separation.

We have received lots of words of wisdom from:

Maybe she is too young to be left?

Have you tried letting her take something that comforts her?

Do it gradually.

You need to just leave her and she will adjust in time.

But as every child is different, so are the ways in which we need to deal with them. Parenting is the hardest, most emotional, rewarding, empowering, challenging and exhausting job in the world.

She is a happy carefree little girl, who wants to go to the park with her mum, who wants to pick apples with her sister or daddy, so who am I to question the need for her reassurance before she grows into the person she wants to be.

In the words of my own mother, it is a moment in time. 

 Image courtesy of africa at FreeDigitalPhotos.net