TUESDAY TIPS
Five simple tips for learning to tie shoelaces
It's funny how children are all so different. Even though Casper has been kicking a ball since he made his first steps and can confidentially climb any object you can imagine (help!), the development of his fine motor skills are less progressed. He only just now learned to tie his own shoelaces -- on the brink ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
Interesting Article: The Confidence Gap for Girls
Today is the International Day of Girls, a perfect opportunity to share this article Courtney recently sent to me from the New York Times. The article, which addresses a confidence gap for young girls, has made me think about how one of the bigger shocks of my girls getting older is witnessing the self consciousness creeping in. I'm ...
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INTERESTING ARTICLES
Let's talk morning routines (and an interesting approach)
We are well and truly back to school over here in Paris. The long nights and slow mornings of the summer holidays are over. It's back to the real life routine. I just read this article and it really struck home with me. As I have mentioned before, mornings are not our forte. We are ...
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PARENTING TIPS
A tip for homesick children (or for children who leave home for a few days)
Pim started his last year in primary school this week! It's going to be a fun and exciting year for him, with the school musical, the fashion show, choosing a secondary school... And then at the end of the year, saying goodbye to his classmates who will all scatter to different schools. But first, the ...
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GOOD READS
The Montessori Toddler, by Amsterdam Montessori teacher Simone Davies
Toddlers can be a handful. The expression 'the terrible twos' says enough: toddlers are known to be difficult and obstinate. They won't eat, won't sleep, won't listen, and in general go left when you want them to go right! Simone Davies, Montessori teacher and writer of the new publication 'The Montessori Toddler', sees things in ...
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PARENTING
Happy summer break! We'll be slowing down for the next couple of weeks...
As I type, Esther and her family are camping in Turkey as part of their 6-week travel adventure in a camper van throughout Eastern Europe (see photos above. OMG!) ... and Emilie and her girls are currently relaxing together at a beautiful yoga retreat in Spain. European summer holidays are in full swing! To say ...
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PARENTING TIPS
Teenagers -- let them vent!
When my girls were small, their problems seemed smaller. A cuddle and a kiss solved most problems. But as they grow bigger, so does the complexity of their problems. I cannot just rush in like Batman anymore and make everything okay. One new development I have noticed as my kids getting older is the need ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
Getting to know your baby. Did you know your newborn immediately?
I was recently browsing my Instagram and something interesting struck me. On social media I have seen several mothers say (write), that after the birth of their babies they feel 'they have known their newborns forever'. I personally have never felt that way. I have given birth to five babies over the past thirteen years, and ...
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TEENAGERS
Great books for teenagers -- Sara's favourite reads
Sara (now 13) is a big reader. She seriously devours books! It's such a pleasure to see her being absorbed by captivating stories, strange worlds and exciting adventures. Especially since I was exactly like her as a teenager. I've asked her to share a list of books she would recommend to readers of around her ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
Teens - Navigating the rocky waters of social media
Teens and social media is a 'hot potato' topic (as we say in French). The fact is: as much as I love the idea of a totally unplugged childhood, we will not be able to avoid social media forever. We ourselves use social media, and for good reason -- it is a simple way to ...
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PARENTING
What should we write about?
I'm having a major case of 'what should I write about?'. It's funny how writing comes in waves for me. Sometimes I find it so natural and I have loads of ideas and it's easy for me to sit down at my computer and just write. And then sometimes... it just doesn't happen like that, ...
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HEALTH & CARE
Some of my favourite baby skincare products
Bram was born during the star sign of Pisces and he truly is a little water baby! Since he loves his bath so much, it's quickly become part of the evening ritual of putting him to bed. We usually bathe him in his Tummy Tub and he just sits there, smiling at us. Too cute! Here ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
The birthday hangover -- is it a thing?
'Birthday season' has just ended in our family with six of the seven of us celebrating a birthday in the last few months -- the most recent being our eldest, now an official teenager!! So wild! With all the birthdays taking place recently, I've noticed something interesting, and I'm curious whether you've ever noticed it ...
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BABY ESSENTIALS
Eco by Naty nappies, a responsible choice!
A few months ago I wrote a post about the damaging effects of traditional disposable sanitary pads on our environment and on female bodies. I never really thought of this beforehand, but when I started to research I quickly discovered how full of plastic and nasty chemicals sanitary pads really are. I promised myself to only ...
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TUESDAY TIPS
Tuesday Tips: Coping with Car Sickness
We often talk about our love for travel on Babyccino, which I share whole heartedly, but there is one aspect I find difficult about travelling with children, and that is car sickness. Our daughter, Beatrice, suffers from the worst car sickness, and it is both heart breaking and debilitating. For us it’s specifically cars — sometimes ...
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TEAM FAVOURITES
Team Favourites: Best London-themed picture books
Our London ShopUp event is just around the corner -- taking place in Shoreditch on June 9th and 10th! (Mark your diaries and don't miss it!) So, with London on our minds, we've rounded up our favourite London-themed picture books. Whether you live in London, travel to London, or simply want to teach your children ...
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PREGNANCY
How Bram was born
Bram will be 11 weeks old tomorrow. He's doing so well -- he is so healthy and growing so beautifully, and he is as sweet and content as he was from the moment he was born. Bram was born at home on the 17th of March, very early in the morning. Unexpectedly, he didn't come early ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
What time do your children go to bed? And you??
Bedtime! It's a bit of a challenge for us, with 5 children in our house (aged between 0 to 13). We're not overly strict, but in an IDEAL WORLD, this is our weekday schedule: Casper (5) 7:30PM Ava (8) 8:00PM Pim (11) 8:30PM Sara (13) 9:00PM Which means that we go upstairs around 7:15 to wash, brush ...
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BABY ESSENTIALS
The Nesta's Nest baby bed, handcrafted and all-natural
Our bedroom is a very calm place if you compare it to the rest of the house. It's on the top floor, above the kids bedrooms and the living rooms where all of the craziness takes place. Ascending the stairs to our bedroom means leaving behind the hectic life, and entering the quiet quarters. Bram ...
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TEENAGERS
Clones / Not Clones
For me it has been a real learning curve to realise that my children are, in fact, not just clones of me! I think I genuinely thought that they would be, when they were newborns. Turns out that they are in fact 2 very distinctly different people. Who knew? I am finding this especially interesting ...
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PARENTING TIPS
Breastfeeding on the go
Yes, hello, it's me, the woman who is often seen breastfeeding in public -- and often while on the go! And not just sometimes, but absolutely wherever and whenever the baby wants to be fed. I am not one to sit on a park bench completely covered up while I feed. Sometimes I use a ...
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HEALTH & CARE
The Tummy Tub -- a perfect bath for (newborn) babies
We have used a Tummy Tub for all of our babies and I continue to be impressed by how lovely and practical it is! From Bram's second day, we have bathed him in the 'bucket' and he's loved it since the beginning. The Tummy Tub is an invention of Dutch midwives, who in the early ...
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TEAM FAVOURITES
Team Favourites: Best Storage Items for the Family
Storage, storage, storage! Whether you live in a small apartment in the city or a big house in the country (or anything in between!), having enough storage feels like the never-ending conundrum... especially when you have kids! You need places to store their shoes, their toys, hair accessories, nicknacks, books, etc. etc. etc. And there's ...
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