Swimbabes
Now that T is getting older I’m starting to think about swimming lessons. The thought of pulling on a swimsuit to accompany T’s on her first aquatic adventure is less than appealing. However, it may prove necessary as I’ve noticed that T is anxious in water during “hair wash time” and a trip to the swimming baths may be in order.
A know some parents introduce their little ones to swimming at the first possible opportunity but I didn’t want to rush it and now I’m not sure what to do for the best.
Fortunately I was able to chat to George Molloy, the director of Swimbabes baby swim school in Yorkshire, who took time out to share tips on how to prepare for your first dip with your little one.
Tell me more about Swimbabes
We are a family run swim school dedicated to providing baby classes in over a dozen venues across the Yorkshire area including Leeds, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Halifax, Sheffield and Chesterfield. We now teach over 1600 babies a week to swim.
We specialise in running infant aquatic classes for babies from 4 weeks of age within the Yorkshire area. Our baby swim programme is designed to develop the key skills needed for water safety and water confidence. As well as the swim school we operate an online shop at www.swimbabes.co.uk selling swim, beach, snow and travel products for babies and toddlers.
Why did you decide to get into the swimming business?
We started the company in October 2003 to allow my wife and I more time to be with our son who was born with a serious heart condition.
Our previous jobs involved long days and lots of travel and after our son, Josh and daughter Eve was born we didn’t have the same passion for our jobs. Josh absolutely loved swimming; he enjoyed being in the water and we all found this experience very rewarding.
Josh is now at school and fighting fit, and we wanted every parent to enjoy helping to teach their child this important life skill.
What does a Swimbabes course cover?
Our course is a structured programme, which encourages each child to develop at their own pace. We teach them the key life saving skills and importantly, to enjoy the water.
Our little swimmers can join us from one month of age and they receive a course booklet detailing the four main levels to our programme which they can aspire to – preliminary, intermediate, advanced and swimschool. The little ones all receive certificates after each stage.
My daughter is 15 months and just recently she’s started to become really nervous if I lean her backwards in the bath. I don’t want her to develop a fear of water, what would you advise to help build her confidence?
You could try to relax her by play with toys and then gently introduce moving her on to her back whilst still using distraction techniques such as toys or song and give her lots of praise.
What’s the best age to introduce your little one to swimming?
Generally we find the younger the baby the more naturally they ease into the course and swimming. We take babies from as young as four weeks and up to 18 months on our new starter courses; the pools we use have warm water and are baby friendly.
What swimwear products do you recommend parents invest in?
All our swimmers have to wear a dual nappy system, which consists of a disposable swim nappy along with a specialist outer nappy. You can also have matching tops and swimsuits for the girls. Wetsuits are very useful to have as you can use them on holiday or at pool you may visit.
What advice would you give to parents who are nervous about introducing their little ones to swimming?
Many of our parents who bring their babies along are nervous initially but our structured lessons and experienced teachers will help guide and encourage the parent to have more confidence and fun in the water.
Our aim is for parents and children to have fun, learn this very important life skill and to enjoy the water.
For more information on Swimbabes visit www.swimbabes.co.uk. You can also find Swimbabes on Twitter.
Meet the Baby Chef
Matt Hazell has a very important job. In his role as The Baby Chef, Matt helps parents figure out what, when and how to start weaning their babies.
The Baby Chef has created a series of DVDs, meal planners and books providing the perfect interactive guide to weaning, with great recipes to try and expert advice.
Matt very kindly took time away from his kitchen to chat to Not So Yummy Mummy and share how it all began…
So, how would you describe The Baby Chef?
We’re the simple alternative to reading lots of books on weaning. We use a fun and interactive way to show parents how, what and when to feed your young baby.
Sometimes we’ve been described as a cross between Annabel Karmel and Jamie Oliver, as we’re easy to watch and have all the information you’ll ever need for weaning!
When did you start the company and how was the idea conceived?
We started The Baby Chef in 2009, but the idea came when I was cooking food for Luca, our little boy, back in 2008. I was batch cooking some food, and in the background I had a celebrity chef explaining how to cook a perfect roast dinner.
I realised that no chef was out there explaining how to cook for little people, moreover that this is the most important time when it comes to feeding and sowing the seeds for good eating habits. So I started The Baby Chef, and two years later we launched our first DVD with meal planner and book.
How old are your children and are they good eaters?
Luca is now 3, and he eats just about anything I put down for him. He’s always been a good eater, and I like to think it’s because he’s been introduced to many varieties of food over the years. He has his days, but in the main he’s a great eater, and interacts well with food.
Tyler is only 3 months old, and she’s still feeding from mommy, but over the coming few months we’ll start the whole weaning process again with her. I can’t wait as I’ve a few new recipes I’m looking to try out on her.
I love watching cookery shows so I think the DVD is genius. Can you tell us more about what it covers?
The DVD has everything you’ll need to know for 1st stage weaning. When to start; what to start with; how to start; what about allergies; can you feed babies organic food and is non-organic safe?
It also covers cost effective batch cooking and why it makes sense and importantly what you should avoid. On top of all of this, we’ve lots of expert advice from Lucy Jones, our specialist dietitian and we’ve over an hour of Q&As for the viewer to watch and rewind if they need to.
Lastly, the DVD has some of the best and most refreshing visual recipes that are great to watch and easy to make.
As a first time mummy, weaning was hands down the hardest job I’ve had so far. My one year old daughter is now eating much better but she’s reluctant to try finger foods. Should I be concerned?
My feeling is no, don’t be concerned at this stage. As long as your baby is taking food and she’s healthy I would not worry too much.
I’ve always taken things slowly with Luca, and he eats well. He didn’t find finger food easy at first, but after a few months he was fine and started to really like playing and taking control of the food intake.
I would try to encourage any parent to relax and take it slow, this is a life-long skill you’re teaching, and you want them to enjoy the experience.
I love the idea of your online meal planner; I actually kept my own offline version when I first started weaning my daughter. What has the response been to your online tool?
The response has been great, with hundreds of parents logging on and tracking their child’s food intake.
What we we’re even more surprised about was the handy pull-out meal planner, as the number of people who have contacted us, and said they love it has been fantastic. This pull-out planner has a “food diary”, a “shopping list” and a “to do list” which are essential for any new parent as time and memory fades away. The other major plus is that it’s wipe-clean so 100% reusable!
Now my daughter’s one and eating well I’m finding it hard to brainstorm creative meals. Can you recommend any great recipes I could try?
If you go onto our website, I’ve created the most fantastic “Fresh Beef, tomato and Basil” sauce for little ones. It will also feature on the new DVD called “Tasty Textures” which I hope she enjoys!
What does the future hold for The Baby Chef?
At the moment we’re looking to complete our “Tasty Textures” and “Simple Solids” DVDs, and we’ve had such a good response to “Easy Weaning.”
In addition we’re looking to sign a deal with a major high street brand so we can sell all three on the high street and around the world. We looking at a potential TV deal whereby we would film an 8 part TV series all about cooking for little children and babies, I can’t wait!
The Baby Chef DVDs are available from Mothercare and Amazon.
For more information visit www.thebabychef.co.uk
Daddy Daycare
On Saturday my sister-in-law and I had a business meeting to attend so my husband took charge of T and two of her cousins, aged 7 months and 11 years, for the day.
It was a last minute request which my husband took in his stride and, in essence, it’s a simple task that most parents with more than one child do without blinking. However, it made us both realise how much attention we lavish on T as our one and only.
I’ve come to realise I pretty much tailor my day around T’s needs, as opposed to parents who have more than one child and have to get on with things. If a brother or sister suddenly appeared on the scene T would get the shock of her life.
As T is getting older we’ve also become aware that she’s fully accustomed to Mummy catering to her every need with immediate effect.
It’s a tough one, as I never set out to spoil her but by default T’s pretty much had my undivided attention since day one.
Parenting is hard sometimes. So often you know what should be happening, but can’t quite figure out how to crack it…
Photo credit: Jim Champion
Meet Max’s Dad
Brother Max is an award-winning British company that specialises in stylish, innovative, baby and toddler products.
Founded by Max’s dad, Jonathan Gold, Brother Max’s 20 product range and has won 13 design and innovation awards, including three Mother & Baby awards during their first year.
Jonathan Gold chatted with Not So Yummy Mummy to share how it all began.
What prompted you to start Brother Max?
The Brother Max range officially launched when my first child, Max, was three years old. However, it was the combination of my product design expertise and ideas that began flowing when Max was just three months old which initiated the idea.
I wanted to spend more time doing the fun stuff with my children. I can pinpoint the exact moment when I realised that there had to be a simpler way.
It was a rainy afternoon and my young son was in full storm weather clothing, strapped into his buggy in preparation to leave the house. I remember him getting increasingly hot and bothered as I ran through the mental check list of all the things that parents have to prepare before the child is in the buggy.
I went to the cupboard to get a cup, but couldn’t find a lid to fit the cup as the ‘dishwasher safe’ plastic had warped, and consequently leaked into any bag it was placed in. I raced back to Max who was now crying, to soothe him with the news we’d soon be on our way, only to realise I hadn’t prepared a snack.
On returning to the kitchen I was confronted with yet another cupboard overflowing with mismatched boxes and lids. That was when the seeds for Brother Max were first planted.
How many children do you have?
I have two boys, Max who is now eight and his younger brother Sam who is five years old.
I read on your packaging that you used to design cars, washing machines and bikes…My husband’s a car designer too. How does it feel to have switched gears?
Becoming a parent certainly initiated a change in my motivation and design process. I never envisaged that I would start up my own company and definitely did not think that I would be designing products for little ones. However, after I became a dad my whole life changed.
I was constantly telling myself that I could do a better job when faced with inefficient and time-consuming products until one day when my wife turned around and said “you keep saying that you can do a better job yourself, why don’t you do it!”, and so I did. I applied my first-hand experience to find simple solutions for the everyday challenges faced by any family.
What are the most popular Brother Max products?
Ooh, that’s a hard one, as we tend to find that mums and dads buy into our range and end up becoming the biggest evangelists we have! In terms of volume, our feeding range sells in high numbers, especially our 3 Combi Bibs and Food Portioners, although the Milk Powder Dispenser and 4-in-1 Cup are just topping the charts at the moment! However it’s our 3-in-1 Digital Thermometer and Scoop High Chair that are our biggest revenue earners.
I have just this week had a wave of fantastic feedback about the Brother Max 5 Bath Toys too. Bath time can be troublesome for mums and dads so it’s great to be able to offer children creative and educational toys to keep them calm and entertained.
Do you have any tips on how to balance a family life with running a company?
I’ve felt for a while now that quality of the time we spend together as a family is better than quantity. Max and Sam would far rather we spend an hour in the park on our bikes than two hours with me on and off my BlackBerry.
So, accept that there will always be times when compromises are required, and then make sure you ring-fence your time with the family. But getting that balance right does also require added flexibility; for example, they’d rather have me on holiday but checking my emails as opposed to me not being there at all.
What advice would you give to a parent who has a product idea they want to launch?
Firstly, are you solving a problem that actually exists, or is your idea just a nice-to-have.
Secondly, is this a product that you can prove – before you make it – will sell in high volume? This is key if you’re looking to create something larger than a lifestyle business.
Thirdly, can you fund not just getting the product in to production, but also launching it and then sustaining and growing sales during the first two years?
Fourthly, don’t underestimate how difficult it is to become a new supplier to multiple retailers (which is where the volume is); especially for one-product companies.
And finally, only take it on if you truly believe that it’s the best thing since sliced bread, and your prepared to chuck everything you have it; emotionally, mentally and financially.
If you had to pick just one, which baby product could you not live without?
It would have to be our 3-in-1 Digital Thermometer. When Max was born, we still had an old-fashioned oral thermometer in the cupboard, so we bought an ear thermometer as we quickly discovered that Max couldn’t keep the old one under his tongue long enough. We also bought a room thermometer as, like most parents, we were made aware of overly-hot nurseries being a factor with cot death.
Whilst Max was happy having the new thermometer put in his ear, my wife was not, so she kept on using the old one. Then when Sam came along, he just wouldn’t let us anywhere near his ear with the new thermometer, so we bought forehead strips, which we couldn’t get to work accurately. So we bought a digital forehead thermometer, giving us a total of 5 thermometers in our house, none of which we could ever lay our hands on when we needed it!
The 3-in-1 Digital Thermometer therefore measures ear, forehead and room thermometer, combining speedy 1-second readings with state of the art accuracy to +/- 0.1 degrees. It sits in its own stand (on a shelf or on the wall) so you always know where it is and has been specifically designed to work without probe covers yet remain hygienic, which is so much more convenient.
It is travel-friendly as it comes with its own stylish, hardwearing travel case, is highly energy efficient with exceptionally long battery life and the screen has a back-light that automatically turns itself on and off. It is also one of the few thermometers on the market to be certified as both a baby product and medical device.
Brother Max products can be found at Boots, Mothercare, Sainsbury’s, John Lewis, Kiddicare, Blooming Marvellous, Jo Jo Maman Bébé and selected independent nursery and pharmacy retailers. Brother Max also exports to 20 countries outside of the UK.
Brother Max is working with media medic Dr Hilary Jones on newly commissioned research focusing on children’s health concerns around meningitis, temperature and infant cot death syndrome.
The questionnaire can be found at www.brothermax.com/meningitis-questionnaire and participants who complete the survey by August 16, 2010, will be entered into a Brother Max draw to win a Scoop High Chair (worth £279.99).
babyREFLUX
babyREFLUX is the only dedicated website to offer advice and specialist products to parents and carers of babies with infant reflux.
Providing expert resources combining an online reflux library with practical products for the day-to-day management of baby reflux. babyREFLUX is also the largest supplier of sleep positioners in Europe to help with plagiocephaly and flat head syndrome.
babyREFLUX is managed by husband and wife team Rachel and Jonathan Phillips. They now live in Basingstoke, Hampshire with their three daughters Jessica 12, Chloe, 10 and Willow 3.
Managing director Jonathan Phillips connected with Not So Yummy Mummy to share how it all began.
What is infant reflux?
Reflux is the word used to describe what happens when the stomach contents come back up into the gullet or into the mouth.
There are very important differences between gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) and gastro oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) when describing the difference between reflux in babies.
These differences can be summarized as follows:
GOR is normal, GORD is a disease.
GOR refers to the passage of stomach contents from the stomach into the oesophagus (spelt esophagus in the US).
It sometimes enters the throat or mouth, and in infants it is often ejected from the mouth. Some degree of GOR is a normal occurrence in individuals of all ages, especially during and immediately after meals. It is usually normal if it causes few, infrequent symptoms, or none at all.
In contrast GORD is present when reflux causes symptoms that are troublesome, severe, or of longstanding; and/or if reflux causes a complication, the most common being damage to the oesophagus.
When did you start babyREFLUX and what prompted you to start your company?
Soon after our third daughter, Willow, was born she was diagnosed with a common but misunderstood disease called Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease/GORD or for short ‘baby reflux’.
Willow would bring up her stomach acids with feeds as projectile vomit and wake every two hours during the night. We had no idea this was even a recognised disease, but statistics state it affects as many as 1 in 5 babies worldwide.
We were prescribed various drugs with little effective, so we found a way to ‘manage’ Willow’s reflux by careful positioning at bedtime and feed times and using specialist products. We sourced sleeping positioners, baby feeding equipment and imported products from the USA and mainland Europe as there were none available for reflux in the UK.
Having an entrepreneurial background we took advantage of this experience and started importing the products in bulk. This led to a new business venture in May of 2007 called babyREFLUX – www.babyreflux.co.uk – selling wedges, sleep positioners and associated products to help manage infant reflux.
This wasn’t our first business idea; since 1998 we have successfully managed a number of businesses including a marketing consultancy, a software company, a sports coaching company and even a cartoonist/illustration business.
Not only are we selling reflux products, we offer various support lines from chat room, online support, email and phone support. Most recently we launched a sister website called ‘Little Refluxers’ – www.littlerefluxers.co.uk - which adds additional support and provides a place for carers and parents to share stories ideas and help one another by sharing experiences.
Were you familiar with infant reflux prior to your youngest daughter’s diagnosis?
Our first daughter Jessica was described by health professionals as a ‘sicky baby’. Obviously this was reflux but not a term used in the late 1990s for infants. The problems we had with Willow were much more severe which meant we had a much steeper learning curve.
What are the most popular products available from babyREFLUX?
Our cot wedges make up about 50% of our sales (http://www.babyreflux.co.uk/products/Baby-Lift-Safely-Cot-Wedge.html) although we sell several hundred sleep positioners a week.
What advice would you give to parents who are caring for babies with reflux for the first time?
Don’t panic! You are not alone even though it may feel like it sometimes. A few simple steps:
- Positioning is key! The worst position for a baby with reflux is lying flat on their back, slumped or with pressure round the tummy. This means keeping them upright during and after feeds, when changing and all times in between!
- Raise one end of the cot/crib so the head of your little one is above the stomach.
- See your GP or Health Professional. If they don’t understand baby reflux or don’t give you the answer you were looking for – get a second opinion.
- Get your GP/Paediatrician to prescribe the appropriate medication.
- Talk to other parents who are the suffering in the same way. Either look for a local support group or visit a specialist social network site such as Little Refluxers.
For more information visit babyREFLUX – www.babyreflux.co.uk and www.littlerefluxers.co.uk
Meet Ella’s Dad
I was introduced to Ella’s Kitchen, the organic baby food brand, a few months ago by my sister-in-law, who’s the mum of four beautiful girls.
Since then I regularly spot other mummies toting Ella’s Kitchen’s colourful, squeezable food pouches pretty much everywhere I go. Consequently, it’s no surprise to discover the brand is one of the fastest growing UK businesses and has just received the accolade of Food and Drink Brand of the Year.
Following the recent fun and games I’ve experienced with weaning I was excited to have the opportunity to chat to Paul Lindley, founder of Ella’s Kitchen, and get his advice on how to get reluctant little ones to eat…
For the Not So Yummy Mummy readers who aren’t familiar with Ella’s Kitchen, can you tell us what you do?
At Ella’s Kitchen, our reason for being is to help kids enjoy eating healthy food. Ella’s Kitchen baby and kids food is 100% organic goodness certified by the Soil Association – with absolutely nothing else added – NO added sugar or salt, NO additives, NO hydrogenated fat, NO GM and nothing artificial.
We believe that this involvement and sensorial interaction with food is key to cultivating positive attitudes towards eating, creating healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.
All the foods come in bright, colourful packaging – perfect for little people’s hands or popping into a bag for when you’re out and about.
I read that you started Ella’s Kitchen after struggling to get your daughter Ella to eat vegetables. Does she eat them now?
Yes, she’ll now happily eat MOST of them; loves carrots, broccoli, beans and cabbage, not so great on courgettes, parsnips and peppers – but I’m still working on them!
She will, however, try anything and I think that’s really important. Try and dislike rather than not try at all.
When did you start Ella’s Kitchen and what’s been your proudest achievement so far?
I had the idea for Ella’s Kitchen in 2003, left my job to develop the idea in 2004 and launched into the market in 2006, just over 4 years ago.
We were humbled, honoured and amazed to win the prestigious Food and Drink Brand of the Year Award at the Grocer Gold Awards last week. Beating Cadbury, Walkers, Hovis and Doritos on the short list!
How many children do you have ?
I have two children, Ella who is now 10 and Paddy who is 7. When Paddy was 4 he asked when ‘they’ would make a Paddy’s Kitchen. Forget bank managers and demanding customers, that’s pressure!
My 9 month old daughter has made mealtimes interesting by blowing raspberries, sticking her thumb in her mouth and karate chopping the feeding spoon out of my hands. Do you have any tips for parents who are trying and failing to get their baby to eat?
Give her a range of foods and textures to taste and encourage her to get involved and have fun exploring and touching her food.
Try singing silly rhymes as the spoon goes in with a big, smiley face and start letting her join in family mealtimes; babies learn by watching others.
Every mummy I know uses your organic baby food pouches when out and about and they recently accompanied our family on a weekend away. What are the most popular Ella’s Kitchen foods?
Our most popular foods are our strawberries and apples and sweet potato, pumpkin, apples and blueberries in Stage 1 (from 4 months).
Wonderfully warming beef stew, chick, chick chicken casserole and lovely lamb roast dinner are the favourites in Stage 2 (from 7 months). Our Baby Brekkie and The Red One Smoothie Fruit are also very popular.
Following your recent appearance on BBC 1’s High Street Dreams, what advice would you give to a parent who has an idea for a baby product they’d like to eventually see on supermarket shelves?
Think from your consumer’s point of view; what will your mums and babies get from your product that they can’t already get in the marketplace; how does it help their lives?
Be innovative and aim to be different. The baby market is full of huge companies so to do well you have to be different to them in offering and product. Do your research, make sure the commercial terms work and believe in yourself.
Do you have any tips on how to balance a family life with running a company?
Keep asking yourself what inspires you, what makes you laugh and what gives you most support.
Being your own boss allows you to be flexible in dividing up your time, so that you can sometimes do the school runs and play in the park, if you are prepared to work into the night. Never miss a nativity play!
When you are at work, concentrate on work; when you are home, try and forget about work.
I surprised my husband with an unexpected Father’s Day gift last Sunday. What has been your favourite Father’s Day gift so far?
A home made 3 course meal made by a 7 and 10 year old, complete with an ice cold beer (in a coffee mug 
).
For more info on Ella’s Kitchen food range visit www.ellaskitchen.co.uk
Happy Father’s Day!
Sending lots of love to daddies everywhere today, with a shout out to one very special father in particular -
To T’s daddy,
Thank you for being such a fantastic father every single day, even when I lose the plot.
You take everything in your stride and we’d be completely lost without you.
Happy Father’s Day!
Photo credit: Little Miss Cupcake Paris
Daddy’s girl
T usually wakes up around 6am and as I’m still sleepy I usually bring her into our bed and we snooze for a little bit.
A few days ago I woke up to T smiling and babbling “da-da da-da.”
It was the first time I’d heard this and suddenly I was wide awake.
T kept on beaming and repeating “da-da da-da.” I wasn’t sure what to make of this new development. Was she calling for her daddy who had just gone to work?
We got up; I changed T and got her dressed ready for the day. I took her into the living room and she started playing with her toys. After a short while she stopped, looked at me and repeated “da-da.”.
I called my husband straight away as I felt I needed a second opinion. When I told him what T was doing he replied nonchalantly, “Oh I know, I heard her this morning too. They say babies often start off with da-da as it’s easier to say.”
I don’t know whether or not this counts as T’s first word. I guess the determining factor might be if she says it with meaning. She says it every day, mostly in the morning or the evenings. I don’t know for sure if she’s referring to her daddy but it makes me smile every time she does it.
Photo credit: K Todd Storch
Bootcamp for New Dads
When I came across a link to a bootcamp for new dads while cruising the internet I just had to delve deeper as it sounded fascinating.
I wasn’t wrong. After I discovered these videos for dads to be covering topics such as how to bath your baby and change a nappy I had to find out more.
For this month’s Dad spotlight I had the pleasure of chatting to Greg Bishop, founder of Bootcamp for New Dads (www.BCND.org) and Dads Adventure (www.dadsadventure.com).
For the past two decades Greg has helped a quarter of a million men in the United States with the adjustment to fatherhood. Bootcamp for New Dads has also crossed the Atlantic in the form of Hit the Ground Crawling, providing access to workshops for dads to be here in the UK.
What prompted you to start Boot Camp for New Dads and Dads Adventure?
After helping raise 12 brothers and sisters, I knew how to take care of babies when mine arrived. After four, my friends were asking for my advice. It occurred to me that dads-to-be could use an “orientation” from guys on the job, so in 1990 I organized a workshop for them at the local hospital.
After conducting it for 5 years, I was getting requests from other hospitals for the workshop and so I formed a non-profit to expand and operate Boot Camp for New Dads, and Dads Adventure to develop a website, books and products for new dads as well as help fund BCND.
In England Boot Camp is called Hit the Ground Crawling (the name of our first book), it operates under the Fatherhood Institute, and is growing rapidly. We have also made inroads in Australia and India.
How are the boot camps structured? What do they cover and how long are the sessions?
The workshops are 3 hours long and typically run over. The men attend before their first baby is born and are joined by guys that have already gone through the workshop and return with their babies. This gives the “rookie” dads the opportunity to find out what to do and what to expect when they’re becoming fathers, from “veterans” who were recently in their shoes.
Under the guidance of a “coach” (myself and more than 300 other men), the “veterans” talk about their experiences and what they learned about babies, new mothers, becoming a dad, etc. They are the real experts on new dads and do most of the talking; just watching them take care of their babies for three hours gives the rookies the sense that “I can do that too.” Especially after the veterans let them hold a baby, often for the first time (or even change a diaper).
What does it cost to attend a workshop and how does someone enrol?
The typical cost is $25 but cost varies according to where it is offered. (Boot Camp partners with organizations like hospitals, community centers and more to provide the class)
There is a list of locations at www. bcnd.org, which has contact information for the programs in each area. If someone is interested in finding a class near them, that’s the best way to do it.
Is the workshop geared towards first time dads only or do you find fathers who already have children but are expecting a new arrival also attend?
The workshop is geared towards first time dads, but we sometimes have men come when they’ve had a child already, but it’s been quite awhile and they want a refresher. Once in awhile, the grandfather comes too!
Over 250,000 U.S. men have graduated from Boot Camp since 1990 – that’s a lot of training! What do you think is the main reason for the demand?
Fatherhood has changed dramatically in the past 20 years, and dads are definitely carving out new roles with their children these days. They’re much more hands-on involved, but they have to assume their new role with little support and information. If they just get a little orientation, they get a much better start. Plus, there’s no where that they can talk to other guys like this.
What are the most popular questions or concerns dads share during the workshops?
It used to be “How will I know how to change the baby, what if he cries, etc.” These days, it’s more “How do I find balance between work & family?” “Will I be a good dad?” “How can I support my wife?” And finances are an ongoing concern.
What advice would you give to a first-time father who’s unsure of his abilities to care for his baby?
If you have any friends with babies, try to spend a little time with them before yours comes. Take a class if you can. And just jump in.
Guys often think that mothers have the corner on taking care of the babies, but a lot of what moms know, they learned by trial and error. Fathers should have the opportunity for this as well. And once a dad does jump in, he gets that connection with his baby and they get hooked on each other. And, dad should take the baby out on his own whenever possible. This gives him sole responsibility and lets him do things his way.
Do you have any tips for mums who want to support their partners in preparing for and adjusting to fatherhood?
Yes, lots. For our two decade anniversary in June, we are launching the New Moms Hearts & Minds Project. For 20 years, the veterans at Bootcamp for New Dads have been telling the rookies what they’ve learned about taking care of and supporting moms. We thought it was time that moms-to-be had the opportunity to know what they can do to get the best possible dad for their babies. We will keep you posted.
A few basic tips for moms-to-be from the upcoming campaign:
1. Remember you have a huge array of support, including your mate, friends, family, the healthcare system, and entire media and retail sectors. A dad-to-be has you.
2. Mothers are the most important factor in a father’s involvement with his baby. You can facilitate it or hinder it. If you back off on doing everything with the baby and expect him to do his part, he will.
3. Dads bring a unique set of strengths to raising kids and are the best brain development toy possible. Don’t turn dad into an assistant mom, encourage him to do it his way. Your baby will thrive on the difference.
4. And the big one: When your bundle of joy arrives, let dad keep a piece of your heart; if you do, he will pitch in so you can keep your mind.
Greg Bishop is also the author of two books for new fathers, Crash Course for New Dads and Hit the Ground Crawling
In the UK, Hit the Ground Crawling run a series of workshops for dads by dads. The sessions provide information and guidance on childcare skills from new dads and their babies. For more information, visit www.fatherhoodinstitute.org
New fathers can also check out the Guide for New Dads produced by the Fatherhood Institute, which is distributed to all new fathers in Britain this year as part of the Bounty packs that are received when a child is born.
Babysitters, raspberries and bottle battles
I am thrilled to report that T’s first official babysitter was LOVELY. T took to her straight away and I was so relieved. I have told the agency I’ll happily book her again and again.
Of course, as soon as you fix one baby obstacle there’s always some other new headache that pops up for you to try and figure out how to solve. This can be especially hard when you have zero prior parental experience.
T is refusing outright to feed from a bottle. In truth, this has been brewing for a while but I figured it would correct itself. I was wrong. It’s getting worse, not better. It doesn’t matter whether the bottle is expressed milk or formula, she just won’t take it.
I breastfeed T exclusively and plan to continue to do so until she’s fully weaned. I thought this was fine but it turns out breastfeeding has a flip side that I hadn’t planned for adequately.
As I never give her a bottle when I’m with her, T only has a bottle when I’m not around, which isn’t that often. On Saturday her daddy looked after her for the day and T refused to drink milk from the bottle from 9am until 6.30pm that night. By that point she had capitulated with the realisation that was all there was on offer. Then, I walked in the door. T stopped feeding immediately as she knew I had what she really wanted.
It was the same story with the babysitter. She wouldn’t even try the milk. She ate her solid food but skipped her milk feed before bed.
On top of the battle with the bottle, T is becoming fussy about eating her solid food. Some days she’s fine but I’ve noticed more and more often she’s refusing to co-operate. She doesn’t cry, she just keeps her mouth shut tight and I have to pull out every trick I can think of to get her to smile so I can quickly shove the spoon in.
I thought that was hard enough, but then yesterday she decided to add something new to the mix. T has a tendency to blow raspberries from time to time but now she’s decided she will only blow raspberries when her mouth is full of food. Yesterday this happened with every single mouthful of her lunch and dinner. She didn’t swallow a thing and I ended up covered in broccoli and pear. It was everywhere. In the end I gave up.
I’ve decided she can’t get the better of me on this and I’ll have to persevere. So I’m giving her a bottle every afternoon. Well, at least trying to. I hated the idea of giving her formula but it’s much easier to chuck that away when she’s refused a feed compared to expressed milk which is a precious commodity to me as it’s such hassle to obtain in the first place.
So far T’s taken about 3 sucks of her bottle before pushing it away, screaming. On the flip side, she finds the raspberry food explosions absolutely hilarious. I tell her “No!” firmly over and over. Her laughs subside but she looks at me curiously as if to say, “what does this no thing mean? I don’t get it. Mummy hasn’t said this before…” She then does the raspberry blowing mouthfuls again, and again and again.
This evening there was minor progress in that she managed to eat about half of her dinner in between lots of No! and a sprinkling of muted raspberries. We’ll see what happens moving forward.
If anyone has any tips on how to get a 7 month old to understand “no” and to accept a bottle without a fight I’d love to hear them.
Photo credit: Maury McCowan
