A day at The Village Play Cafe

Monday rolls around, it is school holidays and a day where I really do not have anything planned. This is a mistake today, my children are in need of some entertainment and as I nurse a possible ear infection and cannot see a doctor until tomorrow I search my brain for an idea of what to do, ignoring my children and their heckles that I take them to soft play centre. The weather seems OK for the beginning of July but my idea of visiting a zoo is put aside by that fact it is almost 11 am it will take an hour to get there, I have no food in the house to pack a picnic and the budget conscious part of me poo poos that idea because I refuse to fork out money for food I know they won't eat and also I don't fancy offering them hot chips as a complete meal AGAIN.

Anyhoo I googled kid friendly places to have lunch and there was a great list of cafes to take your kids to, all of them as I scrolled down the list were just that bit too far for us to drive ( in other words I could't be stuffed with a longish drive). I scrolled on and saw The Little Village Play Cafe, not too far and I have heard of it and always wanted to check it out so today was the day! I called my mum and she was keen to come along too.

When we arrived it was pretty quiet although we discovered earlier in the day had been quite busy. Walking through the door you see a bright crisp space, lots of tables to sit at and beyond those, a little village for the children to play in. We were able to choose a table to sit at, although I would recommend booking as I think we were rather lucky it was a quiet moment.The children immediately made for the play village and I approached the counter to get some menus. There is a charge for the children over the age of 12 months to play at the cafe but compared to some play centres I have been to I found the cost fairly reasonable.

The menu is simple and sweet, the small kitchen at the front of the cafe has a display of various turkish bread sandwiches with meat and meat free options, and salad too. There is also an impressive selection of slices, cookies and muffins! The options for children are so good, still a bit of a treat menu but not a chip or chicken nugget in sight! My 2 both had a smoothie each consisting of milk, fruit and honey and they are served in cute little child size mason jars. The kids loved them, my wee man downed his almost in one go,  My daughter had a ham and cheese croissant and for the picky bird like eater she is, she ate the whole thing and further to my surprise used a knife and fork to do so. My son ordered the raisin toast as he was hungry before we left the house and had already eaten a banana and a peanut butter sandwich. He was more than happy to have a good play instead!

The set up at The Little Village Play Cafe is so wonderful that it encourages children to engage in imaginary play and opportunities for social engagement in a safe and very pleasant environment. The Village has it's own Fire Station which doubles as a fire truck with it's 2 steering wheels, a grocery store where you will find all you need to stock up your pantry and you will always have a very helpful cashier working the till even if they are quite short. There is a tool shop for the handy fixer upper types, a hospital for those who need looking after, human, doll or animal. There is a cake shop perfect for the avid baker and a generous selection of dress ups in the Boutique for the children to become whoever they wish to be. At the back is a quiet little nook for reading and at the front near the tables a spot for the small children to play on a mat with access to toy shelves and bead frames secured to the wall which was very cool.

The Little Village Play Cafe also has shopping opportunities beautifully displayed, baby items, pampering things like face masks and lip balms, jewellery, tea and childrens clothing. Some of the baby items were so cute I even contemplated adding to my brood. Mum talked me out of that one! But in all seriousness there are some really lovely gift ideas in there for mums and young children at great prices.

We spent nearly 2 hours in The Little Village Play Cafe, I got to chat with my Mum, have a yummy lunch, two hot beverages and play with my kids in an environment that was stress free and so different to the typical play centres that are high energy, there is a really calm vibe about the cafe. The staff were incredibly polite and were great to chat to as well.

We left feeling refreshed and relaxed which is not something I think I have EVER said or felt after taking my kids out to have some lunch, either they are having a ball in some noisy place or they are bored and whiny if it is somewhere I would prefer to go. The Little Village Play Cafe provided the best of both worlds.

So if you are in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne and you have little kids that need a play and you need a chill out I highly recommend The Little Village Play Cafe!

Facebook : The Little Village Play Cafe
Instagram: @thelittlevillageplaycafe
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 9:30 - 3:30


Where are your fave places to take the kids out for a lunch date?

Fi xx

Getting Back on Track after Knee Surgery Part 3

6 weeks post op and I am cleared to start some of my physio and also get in the hydrotherapy pool. I am not a real lover of the water but spending time in the hydro pool has changed that a bit as this was my opportunity to get out of the house (finally clear to drive!) and have some time to myself that wasn't confined to the couch!
I was given simple things to do, beginning with increasing my knee's range of motion back to it's normal state, so that involved some walking in the pool, cycling my legs in the water and gentle kicking up and back the pool too. This was my first full body activity since the day I threw my knee out and it felt good to get moving and the water made such a help to how I was feeling and I was working harder than what I felt I was.

Going in the pool I was nervous and to be honest it was busy, "old people soup" I called it and to be honest I don't know why more people do not take advantage of this wonderful resource to help you get moving.
I wasn't ready to get back in the gym as I needed to avoided twisting and other movements so the pool was really my only outlet for movement. I really looked forward to going to the pool because of the opportunity to switch off and not talk to anyone and by the time I got home I was refreshed and just felt good! My Dad has been singing the praises of the hydro pool for well over a decade now as he has had back issues for some time, he is quite a fit man at the ripe age of 61 and has maintained an excellent level of fitness thanks to his pool work.

I was getting bored just doing my physio although necessary, I really needed something extra and the pool have water dumbbells available for the members to use. With the dumbbells I was able to utilise them to do some arms, shoulders and chest work. Adding this in really upped the intensity of my time in the pool and I felt like I was doing some decent work along with my knee rehab. Each day I was feeling a difference with my knee and minor improvements each and every day. I was going to the pool so much that I got myself an aquatic membership saving me heaps of money. A few weeks on my physio had me adding load onto my knee out of the water this time. Prior to this I was doing things like squats in the water as it made me feel lighter and I could get a wider range of motion and a deeper squat.

I extended my membership to be an unlimited one and was able to use the gym and add load to my knee using the machines ("load is king" my physio says). This was great as using free weights took much of the focus away from my knee so using the machines really helped me isolate what I needed to work on. He also had me doing stability work using a Bosu Ball and I loved the exercises so much I bought my own.

I began getting back into gym training in the new year going to classes that were for beginners so I could go at my own pace, such as getting up and down off the floor very, very, very, very slowly. Like a very drunk toddler finding her feet. It was great training with other people again and having a laugh in class, because it is almost impossible for me to get through a group session without a fit of the giggles.

During this time and even up until the present day I am still figuring out the training that is right for me. I did go back to kickboxing classes but avoided leg work (so I guess it was just boxing) but while I enjoyed the training, it just didn't feel right and I really enjoyed the strength training more so that is what I stuck with. I got a bike for my birthday on Boxing Day after the surgery and I really have enjoyed getting on the bike and riding the bike paths and trails, this becoming another peaceful outlet for me such as the pool had been. The bike also became an icebreaker to a new adventurous opportunity and expanded a friendship that I will write about another time.

Basically this year (2017) has been about how I learn what my body can do, what training I find mentally beneficial and what I can do that will ensure I am not in pain during training and also my everyday life. I really believe that it is so important to move your body but not to the detriment of your everyday life. Currently my knee is really good but I have lost some range and can no longer kneel my bum onto my heels and I can feel the scar tissue where I still have some restriction. All that aside I am not afraid of just moving, my knee locked out in so many different situations that I was unaware of when it would happen next. Training being the most obvious moments but even sitting at the dinner table or rolling over in bed did it. I no longer have this fear and it is very freeing and I am aware of my limitations where as before it was all guess work.


I hope you enjoyed my story

Fi x

Getting Back on Track After Knee Surgery Part 2

Getting back to normal life after the surgery was going to take some time and I spent much of my time watching the world go by.

For about a week after the operation my appetite was minimal but following that I had a regular appetite, I was concerned about gaining weight but not so much in a vanity sense as it was in the sense that I didn't want to have to focus on both weight management and rehab as I knew my ability to exercise for the time being was affected along with my usual day to day activities. That being said I made the decision to reduce my carbohydrate intake because of my reduced energy expenditure.

Well that was my thought but I did not take into account the amount of energy it would zap from me to do this meal prep I had planned. Getting around the kitchen on one leg was an effort but I managed, just very slowly until I had the idea of using the office chair on wheels. I wheeled around that kitchen like a boss! Also all the effort to meal prep was actually really good as it reduced the amount of work it took me to get a meal organised and cleaned up especially for times I was alone, and I am not very good at asking for help.

Moving around was hard and I was noticing the difficulty more and more especially since my legs were noticeably different sizes. Sitting on the side of my bed I bend my left leg back and forth and then compare it with the right and I have a long way to do as it moves stiffly and begins to shake as I get it to bend further.

The few weeks post op definitely took it's toll on us as a family, I am the main homemaker and do pretty much all the bits and bobs around the house (not garden unless it's ripping out bushes or something). Sitting back and watching my husband attempt to take on the work was hard, I wanted to guide him but also hold my tongue as he did things his way, it was such a challenge as I wanted to be grateful for him pitching in but at the same time wanting it done my way.

I learnt so much about letting go during this time and understanding that as long as the main priorities were sorted, our kids clean, fed and happy, food in the fridge clean clothes for school and work we can manage all the other stuff and will get done as it is needed. I have held onto this right up to the present day and it has made a big impact on how I priorities things. I can also ask someone else to do a job and not feel so consumed by how well it was done but being happy it was getting done and my time was free to get on with other things.

Requesting things got annoying sitting with my feet up asking for a cup of tea and items to be brought to me. The most unusual was "Honey can you please hold my foot". My foot got so cold!! I called the surgeon's office a number of times about this and the nurses were great gave me things to look out for so it was all good. Not comfortable though as my foot got so cold it hurt. 

This was about 6 weeks but it went quick as I had a few things going on. I hosted a screening of Embrace The Documentary for The Body Image Movement and it was great to keep myself busy promoting that and when the big night came talking to the people who came along about the wonderful initiative of positive body image. The timing was perfect as I avoided being frustrated with myself and limitations (although temporary) thanks to the wonderful messages this movie sends out. 

This part of my recovery was the most mentally challenging as I felt like there was not much to distract me apart from organising the movie screening. Doing nothing or not much is incredibly demotivating especially when the things you want to do are things you are not able to do. But I knew it wasn't permanent and that was the silver lining.

Thanks for reading 

Part 3 to come
Click here for Part 1

Fi 

x

Big leg, Little leg

All the wonderful attendees for Embrace

Sitting out, feeling the boredom.

Doing my best to be ok with the mess!

Having Knee Surgery & Getting Back On Track After Surgery Part 1

Waiting to be admitted with my Hubby and Dad

Last August I had emergency knee surgery. For a number of years I was experiencing quite a lot of difficulty with my right knee. It kept locking out under all sorts of circumstances and I would have to pop it back into place, some times it was more painful than others and as time went on every lock out took longer to unlock. I had an MRI at the request of my physio and nothing was found. A year later I was at a kickboxing class and was practicing some kicks with the instructor when it locked out stayed locked out. I am not sure how long I was on the ground before I was eventually able to get in a car to the hospital but it was a good while.

Waiting in the Emergency Department, very boring and anxious time

I am the worst injured person, I am loud, I complain and I just don't like it! Once I got to the hospital I saw the Dr. in the ED and he admitted me saying I will need surgery and upon looking at it was a possible knee fracture. This was Thursday night. My surgery was booked in for Saturday. I was stuck in a big knee brace, uncomfortable and in pain. Yes I know play the violins, and pass the Endone!
I was able to use a walker to get around but not very much as the brace on my leg was heavy and my hip was aching too, whilst being careful not to move too suddenly and hurt my knee.

Up and about pre surgery

My MRI was booked in Friday afternoon and that was very uncomfortable as I had to remove the brace and lie in a position that really hurt. My surgeon came to see me and turns out I did not have fracture but had torn the meniscus (a thin fibrous cartilage between the surface of some joints, such as the knee). The reason it was not picked up in the first MRI was because it was a Bucket Handle Tear, when my knee is locked the tear is open, when it is fine the tear is closed and undetectable. The fact I could not unlock my knee was a blessing in disguise as I finally knew what was going on all these years.

There was two options, to cut out the meniscus or repair it. The surgeon said I have healthy knees and he would like to repair it rather than cut it out. So that was that, the next day I would have my first ever surgery.

Unfortunately I was by myself the day of the surgery as my daughter had a sporting event that day and that is where everyone would be. My husband and family were upset they couldn't be there with me but I said I would rather they go cheer on our girl and even though I was nervous I was more upset I was missing out on watching her and felt as though I was letting her down #mumguilt.

I became incredibly anxious being wheeled into theatre and the hospital staff were very reassuring, I was given a wonderful dose of something to calm me down and then I closed my eyes. Upon waking I just remember saying "OW" but not necessarily feeling any pain but I was given something straightaway for the pain, and then felt cold and the recovery ward nurses ( Such nice people!) padded me up with warmed blankets from head to toe, so cosy I will never forget that feeling of cosy!

The first thing that I noticed that was aside from the direct operating site I was not in any pain and I for the first time in years, from my hip down felt fine! Of course I  was tender post op but I already felt the benefit of the surgery.

Home and feet up. Like my socks?

I was able to go home on the Sunday afternoon once I had been able to show the doctors I could be mobile on crutches and they checked I could get up and down stairs safely. Instead of going to my house I went and stayed at my Mum's for a couple of nights as I was able to get adequate rest while I was there. I feel very fortunate I was able to do this. The Olympics also had a week to go so I wasn't stuck with traditional day time TV thank goodness. It just isn't the same without Oprah.
I was left with some very simple exercises from the physio and was not allowed to bend my knee beyond 90 degrees ( I couldn't even get it to do so!!)
The physio exercises although simple really tested me and I found them so difficult, but I had to remember I am in a weakened state and these are necessary, even the weight of a blanket on my foot caused pain. I tried to get up and moving around as much as I could but tried to take it easy too, I had an event to plan and execute a few weeks after and that took a lot of my time and energy, shortly after I got sick and had to rest up.

I am going to leave this here for now and will post Part 2 soon, all about how I went with rehab and returned to training. Hope you enjoyed reading

Fi

x

Becoming a Mum. Overwhelming and so very confusing!

Were you so overwhelmed when you became a mum?? I was. I was surprised by how overwhelmed I was. When I had my first child at 23 I had already been working full time in childcare since I was 18. My career in Childcare came by accident and I was immediately good at it ( yep toot toot, totally blowing my horn here)

Anyway, I spent so much of my career up to the point of heading off for maternity leave helping and advising parents on how to care for their children. From routines, to separation, sleep, mealtimes and play and learning. I was so confident in my practice and knowledge and always learning ( still am).

When I had my daughter, the nurses in my hospital when they found out my profession took a "you know what your doing attitude". Don't get me wrong they were helpful, the only thing that I wasn't assisted on was breastfeeding (I had no idea). But they didn't hold my hand through those first few days with bub. I don't know if this is normal but this is how I felt and a few did actually say to me "you'll know what you're doing with your background"

Fast forward to being at home and I clearly remember my Mum coming over first thing in the morning and me still in my dressing gown cuddling my little girl. She smiled at us and said "how are you?" I started bawling!! I was so shell shocked and started ranting to her about "How dare I tell other parents how to raise their kids I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING!"

Looking back on that now I have a laugh to myself, but I seriously believed I was a total fraud!

What you do not expect as a new mum is that smack in the face emotional connection you get from this tiny bub. It affects your decision making, how you view the world, how you react to other people and what they say and do. The birth of motherhood is an emotional awakening, for some it is euphoric and wonderful for others it is scary and daunting. For me it was like a panic, a place between logic and love. All I had learned and knew about babies and children was from that of an objective outsider, not a mother. I was that calming third party reassuring parents and guiding them, who then became the anxious mother herself.

This is now of a benefit to me as I return to work, I have a new empathy and understanding for what parents go through. I have made new friends through parenthood exposing me to different family dynamics.

I guess the point of this post is that it is perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed, shocked and out of place when you first begin parenthood. Because emotionally you will never be prepared for it no matter how much knowledge you have and that is totally OK. As time passes you are faced with new challenges and will quite often feel overwhelmed. Finding your support network can help, somewhere you can be totally honest with how you are going without the fear of judgement. I believe we all want the best for our children and that we do make mistakes trying to figure out what that is.

Be kind to yourself, be kind to others and have your best intentions at heart. You'll be fine x

Fi x

Ready to Return to Work

I have two children 7 and 3. When I was pregnant with number one I was all starry eyed about being the perfect stay at home Mum, cooking, cleaning and doing fun activities with my kids, This as I discovered, couldn't be less me. For one I actually had no idea how to cook anything other than French Toast. Cleaning I was good at ( my Mum may argue otherwise but I am happy with my standards). The pressure to do fun activities with my kids both creative and social took me on a wild ride of shame and anxiety that I just couldn't bear!

When I went back to work round one, my girl was 14 months old and I jumped in 4 days a week ready to progress in my career. Boy was I in trouble. As much as I wanted to do well in my career I still wanted to be that perfect mum at home and maintain a routine for my little baby girl. I struggled for over a year denying to myself the fact I wasn't coping and the cracks opened slowly but surely. My judgement was compromised and I was so tired. I didn't have a plan, financial reasons aside I didn't have a true purpose for returning to work and it affected me and drained me. It all came to a head when we bought our first home and I had a proper meltdown as we were moving in. I handed in my resignation and took a break for a few months.

Round 2 came about when I returned to working only a few days on an on call basis, the money was good and I could dictate my hours, but I didn't belong anywhere. I am the kind of person who needs to belong somewhere be a part of a team and this type of work just didn't suit me. I was completely void of any motivation and was just going through the motions.

I began to look for something permanent part time but I just didn't have any luck finding somewhere that I felt I belonged or fitted in with my own philosophies. I stuck it out at an average job for about 6 months and then was to surprised to find I was pregnant with our second child. The whirlwind of pregnancy number two began and I wound up collapsing one day at the shops and deemed unfit to work by my GP.

I had my son in the October and life with 2 children began. I wanted to make more of an effort to get out into the world and in the following March I went to Mums n Bubs fitness classes, something I had no idea about when I had our girl and really wish I did. This became a great incentive for me to get organised for the morning and get out the house.  It was something I wanted to do and I looked forward to it. As time passed the gym I trained at needed a childcare worker and I put my hand up, the hours were short and manageable and in a place I already felt I belonged and would be supported. My perspective on work changed from there and for 3 and a bit years I worked looking after children at the gym and also gaining my fitness certification. It was fun to learn about something new that has always been a hobby of mine. I began working as a group fitness instructor as well as looking after the kids in the gym and I was really enjoying myself. After a while I felt like something was missing.

On outings I would over hear staff mainly in the shops or cafes talking about their day and who was on what break next, you know general work chit chat and starting to REALLY miss my old job of working in a long daycare. I began to make a plan! How many days could I do to enjoy myself, make it financially worthwhile and get some progression in my career? I decided 3 days was the magic number and also set my hours firm to suit me. I began applying, due to the limitations of my working availability it did take a few months but I ended up finding employment. Once I accepted the offer I became anxious, questioning whether I can do this and how to make it work. My worries were all about the fear of burnout, my kids getting overtired, and becoming grumpy all the time. I made the decision if this did happen as a family we regroup and form a new strategy.

So it has been almost 2 months now and we have all hit the wall of fatigue whilst we adjust to the new schedule, we have all had some time home sick, have come full circle and I believe things are going OK. I actually look forward to going to work, I am enjoying myself and have already made some progression in my job which is awesome.

I am mindful to be kind to the kids in the evening, they don't feel like eating a traditional dinner on our late nights so as long as they eat and eat with a bit of balance, enjoy their evening and go to bed happy, then I am happy.

So my tips from what I have learned in my own life would be:

• Analyse your reasons for going back to work, if it is a financial goal, a professional goal, to have a break from being home or to start a new career. Having a goal or incentive will help you enjoy your time in the workforce and bring value to what you are doing.                                      
• Really think about the hours and days you want to work and how that will fit into your current lifestyle and other family members. My hours meant our eldest goes to after school care, something I was reluctant to do but has been alright so far.

• Don't over commit yourself. Don't offer 5 days if your are unsure start small and add on as you go if you think you can manage

• Don't over stress being the perfect homemaker, make dinner easy on work nights, use the slow cooker, batch cook, or just do sandwiches fruit and yoghurt. Fed kids are happy kids but this by no means says you have to have a roast on the table every night. We save our big cooked dinners for Friday through Monday 

• Look after yourself. do little things that help you switch off and reboot each day. Personally I like to read. I get cosy with my book and just disappear for a while. 

Leave me a comment below on your experiences or over on my Instagram @findingfiforme I would love to hear how you made the return to work work for your family or if you are thinking about doing so!

Fi x

REVIEW: Toddler Life By The Sleep Mama

Over the last few months I began following Kylie Camps aka The Sleep Mama on Instagram and Snap Chat. As I have mentioned in the past I keep my Snap Chat following small as it takes up a lot of time but Kylie's Snaps are on my top watch list. Kylie is a Sleep Consultant with a variety of sleep programs to help teach babies and toddlers to sleep. I have not used Kylie's program for sleep but she has a long list of positive testimonials from very happy families. 
This week The Sleep Mama released "Toddler Life" a comprehensive tool for parents of toddlers on how to handle those turbulent and confusing times. As a mother of a 3 year old and also an Early Childhood Professional for coming up 14 years I was very excited to read this guide, also Kylie's obvious passion and excitement for it's release was rather infectious. If you follow Kylie (The Sleep Mama) on Snap Chat you will know she has a passion for parenting and how intentional, kind and educated parenting can benefit entire families. Enter Toddler Life.

Upon purchasing the guide, a digital download, it was easy to delve straight in. Kylie has designed a beautiful looking guide, don't be fooled, it may be pretty but it is also so smart and to the point!

Toddler Life has been endorsed by Child Psychologist Funda Yolal described as filling in "the missing pieces" for parents in raising their toddlers. I personally believe that having sent this to be read over by such a well respected specialist displays the confidence Kylie has for her guide and it's content. 

Toddler Life is written by a Parent for Parents which brings a sense of comfort like you're chatting with a friend you need advice from. Kylie explains in a non patronising manner the brain development of young children, gently reminding us that when we deal with toddlers we are not dealing with a person who has a fully developed adult brain but a developing brain and how the environment we create for our toddlers is so important for positive emotional and cognitive development.

Toddler Life encourages you to start "expecting your toddler to act like a toddler" probably one of the most sound pieces of parenting advice I have heard in a long while. 
Kylie has addressed all the major points of life with a toddler. All the things that have you wondering "what the hell am I doing??" "Am I doing this right??" 
Covering meltdowns, tantrums, discipline, dropping day sleeps, playtime and choosing daycare.
This guide will help you feel more confident in navigating the more hairy areas of parenting a toddler and identifies causes of symptoms such as an overtired (cause) toddler having a tantrum (symptom). Being a parent is so emotional and Kylie's clear and concise explanations will help you to think clearly in relation to dealing with your toddler

Toddler life provides parents with factual information in regards to the development of young children from proven studies, some of this information I recall from my own Early Childhood Studies and I believe including this information really helps to have a general understanding of The Toddler from a developmental point of view prior to taking their individual personalities into account which is also covered.

Kylie has invited her husband Matt to contribute his own point of view to the guide this provides parents with an alternate perspective and window into Kylie and Matt's personal parenting journey and reminds us that we may differ from our partners in chosen parenting style but we share a common goal in wanting the best for our children and our relationships. His input also reminds us of the importance of taking time for yourself and allowing your partner to do the same without the attitude of being "owed" the time but in a bid to better prepare you for each step of your parenting journey together. Some really great advice in there!

Toddler Life covers communication both receptive and expressive and how the way we communicate to our toddlers can greatly impact how our time is spent with them. I love how this guide values the importance of communication.

Toddler Life is not a hugely thick manual on how to raise your child but a guide that covers all the points that parents seem to be scrambling for information on. The beauty of Toddler Life is in it's simplicity. It is straight to the point giving a clear outline of typical toddler development and behaviour with tools on how to recognise and handle situations for what I believe is for a wide variation of families. This is not a strict program but a guide that provides you with the information and basic tools to raise your toddler while still having your own core values in place to suit your family's individuality. 

I am so very glad I have purchased this, as an Early Childhood Professional this is all knowledge I have learned and developed from my work and training, but as a parent it's a totally different game. My emotions are involved, I am biased and I am raising my children with my husband where we can differ in our opinions. We both get tired and stressed out and as a result we parent for the short term out of the sheer convenience of a quick result. The tips in this guide are full of common sense and they DO work if you commit to them and parent with intent and help you aim for long term results.

This guide will help families I have absolutely no doubt about that. With Kylie's philosophy surrounding kind parenting and parenting with intent you are sure to do your child such a huge favour by setting them up for success and nurturing their emotional well being at a very influential time in their lives. I also believe this guide will help adults to cope in stressful situations not just in parenting but in life in general encouraging you too see things from the toddler's point of view will encourage empathy.

So if you are approaching toddler hood or are in thick of it I highly recommend purchasing Toddler Life. You can always go back to it when you need to and you also will have access to a forum connecting you with so many other parents in the toddler game and their own Early Childhood Proffessional. 

Big thanks to Kylie at The Sleep Mama for creating this fantastic resource that supports and encourages parents to be the best they can be. Thanks for lifting us up and being a safe and supportive resource for parents, we all want the best for our kids!

Fi 
xx