MamaToyz: Making life easier with under three’s!

It was never going to be an easy ride. The decision to have a little one and then the decision to maybe have another little one and then many more decisions about your life, their lives and if any more would be joining your family too. With your arms full, your days full, a household to maintain and everything else you could possibly be juggling, it can suddenly feel like there’s a lot going on. Social media has had its pros and cons. It can be incredibly supportive within the right groups, discussing these things that can get overwhelming and feeling at one with a community who are experiencing the same things. It can also make things feel more difficult when you witness the ‘perfect’ side of others life and begin to feel as though something isn’t right. We want to join the positive community, these feelings are normal; you’ve got a lot to manage. Your arms might be full but you have that warmth of family feeling within you that makes it all worth it! 

Whether you’ve got one under two, two under two, two over two and one under two; it’s your perfect family but there are little things that can help take some pressure off so you can enjoy more of the time you have with them at this age. Here are our top tips to help make your life easier with under threes!

1. Encourage older interaction

You’ve got two little ones, trying to prioritise who needs what at any time isn’t going to be easy. Encouraging each of them to be involved in a task can not only help you but also avoid any exclusion and everyone feels like they’re getting your time and attention. If it’s a nappy change, what about having the older sibling pass you things you might need or if someones having a nap you could have your older child help prepare lunch with you!

The MamaToyz Kule Learning Tower is the ideal tool for this situation, allowing your older child to stand with you safely to help in these scenarios!

 

 

2. Be prepared for when you need to feed 

If you’re breastfeeding or you’re bottle-feeding, there will be a time when you need to be sat with your smallest child and your hands are full. Meeting the needs of both or more children can be challenging here especially on your own and this happens multiple times a day (and night!) Having some pre-prepared snacks (maybe you made them earlier when naps were happening!) or some reading material so your toddler can read to both of you during this quiet time. 

You could also pack the Kasabam Play Mat wherever you go so your toddler has something to occupy themselves with during this time.

 

3. You can only ever do what you can at the time

Reminding yourself there are only 24 hours in the day and you do need sleep at some point during that time is important. You can only ever do as much as you can at any given moment. The decisions you make at that time are on the situation you are in and you can’t spend your time kicking yourself that ‘you didn’t complete more in a day’ or ‘your day didn’t go the way you thought it would’. You’ve got small children, cut yourself some slack!

 

 

4. Going out can be a blessing 

Although it might not seem like it, going out can actually be less stressful than staying in. It can sometimes feel a little overwhelming to get everyone together with all the things they might need, but a bit of fresh air and a change of scenery isn’t just great for them but for you too. 

You’re of course always trying to help the development of your little ones and that’s why MamaToyz are designed in the way they are; to help your little ones develop healthily in a way that you can trust and rely on. The Balance Bike is a great choice for a child to easily walk alongside a pushchair or pram, you could also try the Mini Bike for some more stability!

 

5. You’re going to be tired and it’s okay 

Your expectations are much higher than anyone else’s. You of course want the best for your children and you will likely exhaust yourself in the process of trying. You’re doing an amazing job and it’s worth looking back at where you’ve come from and how much you’ve achieved on the days you take it a little easier. Be kind to yourself!

Having small children is a joy and a tiresome job. Giving yourself the opportunity to remind yourself of how incredible being a parent or grandparent is, and all that you’ve done and will do for these children is crucial. These little interventions with things that support healthy relationships between you and your children are key but also these ideas will help their development too. All Mamatoyz designs have both parent and child in mind, to offer parents safe items to give when you need the time for other tasks or matters and their purposeful design means that your child will be developing either or both fine and gross motor skills. 

To learn more about these development skills read our article here: MamaToyz 6 Things your two-year-old can play to develop gross and fine motor skills