Parenting Babyccino Kids: Daily tips, Children's products, Craft ideas, Recipes & More

INTERVIEWS

5 Questions with Maya Simler from PLAYin CHOC

I have rarely encountered a person with such an international life as Maya. Reading the answers to our 5 questions below, it became clear that she really has worked and lived in so many places! Maya currently lives in London with her husband and two boys. She's the brainchild behind her amazing brand PLAYin CHOC, ...

PARENTING

Moments of big transition, and the ones that catch you off guard

A big event happened this weekend at our house: we removed the tall sides of the crib my son has slept in for the last two years (and my daughter for 2.5 years before him), replacing them with shorter, toddler-friendly ones. In truth, it was time -- he's been potty trained for more than 8 ...

PARENTING

Would you share the name of your baby before birth?

Esther and I just had an interesting conversation about sharing or not sharing the name of your unborn child. She cheekily asked if we had decided on a name for our baby boy already and if I would share it with her. Which got us comparing habits and traditions on the matter. I am now ...

INTERESTING ARTICLES

Why being kind makes you happier!

Earlier this week, Lara in London sent me this wonderful article in The Sydney Morning Herald (her husband worked on the studies involved at Kindness.org), and it really hit home with me. The article shows a link between kindness and happiness. Reading it, I was reminded of an analogy my friend, Jeremy, shared with me ...

EDUCATION

The climate strike (plus: 8 ways to make a conscious change at home)

If you are reading this post on Friday, 27th of September 2019, you will be looking at a black&white website. For one day we're ditching all colour, in solidarity with everyone who is striving for an urgent climate change -- today, this week, and always! A small change, perhaps, but I find it quite disturbing ...

PARENTING

Thursday Thoughts: Do You Make Your Kids Stay at the Table at Mealtimes?

My husband and I have had a bit of a predicament lately which has left us with this question I'd love to ask you: When your kids are finished eating, do you make them stay at the table until everyone is finished or do you excuse them? We’ve always let our girls get down when ...

PARENTING

A new kind of list making

I made a list today, a different kind of list than I usually do. Not a to-do list, or a grocery list, or a list of errands to run, or a list in my gratitude journal that doesn't exist because I have zero extra time in my day for that. It originated as a ...

TUESDAY TIPS

Encouraging children to read! Here are ten tips.

Both my oldest children are avid readers. Especially Sara is the kind of person who reads everything she can get her hands on: novels, series, educational books, newspapers, magazines, the back of cereal boxes -- you name it. So recognisable: I was exactly the same as a child. (I always thought it had to do ...

THURSDAY THOUGHTS

Would you let your children get lost at night and let them find their own way back home?

Recently, an interesting article appeared in the New York Times, and so many of my friends and followers reached out to me about it. Is it true? Do you really do it? The topic of the article is about a particular 'game' we play in the Netherlands which is called 'dropping'. In a nutshell, children ...

THURSDAY THOUGHTS

Let experiences be! How playing back memories on a mobile phone can re-shape our memories.

A couple of weeks ago Lara sent me an interesting NY Times article: Is the immediate playback of events changing children's memories? It has definitely made me re-think the way I share photos and videos to my children. Don't get me wrong -- I don't think it's bad to let them watch videos of past events, ...

GOOD READS

Comfort Zones, Edited by Sonder and Tell

Recently launched, Comfort Zones, is an anthology of essays written by a pool of women writers tackling unfamiliar grounds. Edited by Sonder & Tell and sold by Jigsaw all proceeds go to the charity Women for Women International. Broken up into four areas: Learnings, Relationships, Works of Fiction and New Ground & Big Ideas you'll ...

HOUSEKEEPING AND ORGANIZATION

Fridge organisation for families, tips to avoid food waste

A couple of months ago I was asked to become an ambassador for the Dutch agency against food waste (#verspillingsvrij). Which I was happy to accept -- food waste, after all, is one of the most serious dangers to the health of our planet. A third of all food is thrown away! A big part ...

THURSDAY THOUGHTS

Are you competitive when you play games with your children?

Let me start by saying that I have huge respect for parents with an endless (endless!!) patience; parents who can play silly games with their children and let them win over and over again. I am not one of those parents. Of course I do sometimes play those silly games, and I do let my children ...

THURSDAY THOUGHTS

Have you taken your kids to Disney?

My sister-in-law just surprised her two young girls with a trip to Disney World for spring break. Intrigued, I asked my mother-in-law a few questions who has been several times. Her ears immediately perked up at my interest. She apparently never thought I’d ask and is pretty eager to take my kids one day! I’m ...

THURSDAY THOUGHTS

Do you carve out one-on-one time for each of your kids?

One of the things I get asked the most in relation to having a big family is whether I'm able to spend enough quality time with each of my kids. And my response to this question usually surprises people... The thing is that no, I don't really spend quality one-on-one time with each of my ...

THURSDAY THOUGHTS

Ear piercings for children -- yay, or nay?

Yesterday, Sara and I headed over to a tiny jeweller here in the centre of Amsterdam to get another ear piercing. She already had three -- when she was 12, she had one hole in one ear and two holes in the other one pierced. In the meantime, the single hole closed up after she ...

TUESDAY TIPS

Tuesday Tips: Enjoy some extra sleep with a homemade 'Surprise Station'

Our children are really good at entertaining themselves at home, but it seems the minute we go away on a mini weekend break, or even for longer, they wake up earlier, with more energy and excitement! I get it, it's the excitement of being somewhere new, but man is it exhausting! Now that our kids ...

PREGNANCY

Maternity products -- a few little luxuries and some practical tips too!

When you are pregnant with your third child, you just have less 'me' time. So instead of getting new and lovely items for your pregnancy, you inherit hand-me-down maternity clothes from friends, you pull out some of your old clothes from storage, and you make do -- which is a great way to recycle and ...

PREGNANCY

Baby on Board -- helpful badge of honour for pregnant mamas?

I have taken this little simple badge for granted until recently when one of my American friends was visiting. She was so impressed that mums-to-be in London get to have these pins to wear while commuting so they can easily get a seat, and have a rest. It is the Baby on Board badge. Have ...

PREGNANCY

Why a home birth is not my first choice...

I am now 38 weeks pregnant, and I just visited the midwife at our Birth Centre last week to discuss my Birth Plan. I am in full-on preparing and nesting mode! And the top item on the list, is, of course, having the baby! The midwife said I was a good candidate for a home birth ...

TEENAGERS

At what age do you give your children a mobile phone?

We live in an interesting age. Technology is developing with the speed of light and a life without mobile devices has simply become unthinkable. I find this such a strange phenomenon, especially given the fact that it's not even that long ago since we didn't even have wireless communication! (I think my dad, because his ...

FOR MUMS

My new project: an e-course and Instagram community for parents

Guys, I'm really excited to share a new personal project I've been working on! After two years of mushy baby brain (no joke -- I honestly thought my brain might never work properly again!), I'm excited to be back in entrepreneurial shoes -- with fresh ideas and enthusiasm. Back in February, just before Wilkie's 2nd ...

PARENTING

The funny little things our mums have taught us

I was talking to a friend of mine last night about the funny little things our moms have taught us, which have stuck with us. What I like is that these little pearls of wisdom are entirely different from person to person. And yet we each consider them rules we cannot break, even though ...

Parenting

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