Tag Archives: parenting

Jacqueline Waggett PacaPod Founder Interview

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We interviewed Jacqueline Waggett, founder of the amazing PacaPod changing bags. A must for all parents.

PacaPodfounder sketch

How did you come up with idea of the PacaPod?

I never even had a baby bag, I created a mock-up first PacaPod with different bags inside and thought this was a really good solution to getting out the house quickly when you had a precious window of opportunity between feeds, sleep, changes!

 

What makes it different?

PacaPod bags contain a unique ‘baby organisation system’ with two detachable pods to store feeding and changing items which keeps them hygienically apart and organised so there’s no panic rummaging for lost wipes or dummy. All three elements can be used on their own, clip onto a buggy and great for sharing with a partner, travelling or dropping at nursery – it’s very versatile and more than a bag it’s a toolkit for parents.

 

Was it hard getting the design right?

I held “focus groups” – basically having a bunch on my new found NCT friends around for a coffee and asking them to bring their changing bags with them and tell me what they loved and hated about them. The passion these ladies had about their bags just blew me away and I realised that everyone had the same frustrations as me and that I was really onto something. My background as an outdoor clothing designer for high profile brands meant that I had the tools to and knowledge to bring a product to market, so from those early discussions I designed a bag that would incorporate all the requirements necessary for the perfect baby bag – basically the PacaPod 3 in 1’ baby organising system’  was born.  Using my previous experience and contacts I sourced some factories to make bags, made samples, and held more focus groups, field tested and amended the bag again and again until the feedback from parents was just right.

pacapod

Do you have a favourite bag?

I use a PacaPod everyday even though my children are not in need of a baby bag as it makes a great work bag. I use the parent section for paperwork and laptop, the feeder pod for my lunch and the changer pod for all my odds and ends, make up and so on. So it depends when you ask me – right now I love the Sydney leather messenger.

 

How hard was it getting the business off the ground?

When I spoke to nursery retailers about the concept to gain industry feedback and I was told there were too many bags out there already!  But my gut feeling and the response from other mums told me it would work – so I took the plunge and booked a stand at the Harrogate nursery trade show in 2008, ordered the goods, set up a website and started selling! From the first idea to the launch at Harrogate it took just one year. Looking back it’s hard to believe I achieved so much, especially as I had a one year old and I was pregnant with my second child at the time.

 

What was the biggest challenge?

The early days and the legalities of launching a brand and protecting the copyright, patents, trademarks and testing standards required for the nursery industry on such an unusual product was a real education because there was nothing like it before in the market! Just to give you an idea the lining in the feeder pod alone is tested to the same degree as a dummy. It has taken years and a good deal of financial investment to ensure the product is protected worldwide and when you are self-funded re-mortgaging your house twice with two small children certainly takes its toll on the nerves.

 

When did you realise you had gotten it right?

Probably at that first trade show when we had such amazing feedback and great orders!

 

What is the high point so far?

When I see the bags out and about and people take the time to let us know how they love their bag.

 

For me it’s about people and places, helping people with babies to go places!

 

Our PacaPod review will be up soon. They are available from johnlewis.com and mummyandlittleme.co.uk

 

Maternity Burden On Small Business ‘Overstated’

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1024px-Mother_Kissing_BabyWe found this very interesting at Frost: Small business owners over-estimate the burden of providing maternity protection to their staff a new review, conducted by a team of experts from Middlesex University for the International Labour Organization, has revealed in a new report, out now.

The review, led by Middlesex University Professor of Organizational Psychology Suzan Lewis, suggests that effective maternity protection has a positive rather than negative on SMEs and can have a range of positive productivity related outcomes for firms, as well as wider social benefits.

 

 

The team found:

SME owner-managers are often adverse to maternity protection regulations, fearing the time and costs involved can lead to a competitive disadvantage.

There is a link between maternity protection and improvements in performance and productivity, linked to enhanced employee satisfaction and commitment.

There are wider societal benefits of effective maternity protection including poverty reduction, reproductive health, gender equality, fertility rates, and economic development.

Commenting on the review’s findings, Professor Lewis said: “Anything that is going to impact the financial stability of a business is naturally of concern to its owner, and that is why it is so important to understand that many maternity protection practices can have little or no costs and considerable benefits.

Middlesex University Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research (CEEDR) Research Associate Dr Bianca Stumbitz added: “It is clear that a supportive workplace is crucial – one that is sensitive to gender-specific issues and that recognises the joint roles that both men and women play in family life.”

The report shows that women who know their employer will support them as they start a family and avoid stereotyping their role in the workplace are happier, more loyal and therefore more productive. For these positive effects to arise and maternity, paternity and family responsibilities to become a normal fact of business life, maternity protection and other work-family balance measures need to ‘fit’ into practices and interests of SMEs.

The review also found there was space for government to help ease any financial strain on small businesses complying with maternity provisions.

Professor Lewis said: “The economic reality means that if we want small business to implement strong maternity protections, some financial compensation by way of tax breaks or public subsidies may be necessary – and that is something policy-makers ought to consider seriously.

“Additionally, education campaigns designed to raise awareness and provide practical advice to employers struggling with maternity entitlement issues is also vital – especially information which highlights the potential productivity benefits.”

The report also highlighted the urgent need to address economic and cultural challenges facing working mothers in developing countries, which has largely been ignored by research.

Compiled for the International Labour Organization, the review was authored by Professor Suzan Lewis, Dr Bianca Stumbitz, Dr Lilian Miles and Dr Julia Rouse.

 

 

11 Top Tips for Looking after Your Children’s Teeth

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keeping children entertained on car journeysOur children’s health is extremely important to us and we all want to ensure that their teeth and gums stay healthy. Children’s dental hygiene can be confusing and with children developing new teeth at a rapid rate, it can be a tricky to determine the best hygiene solutions for them. There are lots of simple things you can adopt into your child’s everyday routine that will make a big difference to their oral health, putting them in good stead for the future. Here, Sameer Patel, Clinical Director at award-winning, highly specialist dental and orthodontics practice, elleven (www.ellevendental.com), offers his top tips on how to look after your children’s teeth…

Brushing- Brushing teeth removes stains, plaque and bacteria on the teeth and gums, plus toothpaste that contains fluoride will help keep the enamel in the teeth strong. Make sure your children brush their teeth twice a day and change their toothbrush at least every two to three months. When teaching your children how to brush their teeth, try showing them in front of a mirror so they can see the areas they are brushing and the technique used. Your child should be brushing in a circular motion cleaning the gum and the tooth. Be careful not to use the brush too hard to ensure you don’t wear away the gum.

Flossing- Many parents are unsure as to when a child should start flossing their teeth but the answer is simple. As soon as two of your children’s teeth touch they should begin flossing. Make sure that you practice the flossing technique with them to ensure effective plaque removal, going deep in between the teeth until they reach the gum and moving the floss either side of the tooth several times to dislodge any plaque.

Eat their way to healthy teeth– Dairy products are great for keeping the enamel in teeth strong. Enamel is very similar to bone and can be kept strong with calcium found in dairy so make sure they drink plenty of milk and eat lots of yoghurt to strengthen teeth from a young age.

Regular check-ups– Take your child to the dentist when they’re as young as possible and at least once by the time they’re two. This is so they become familiar with the environment and get to know the dentist. The dentist can help to prevent decay and identify any health problems at an early stage.

Water– This is the best drink possible for your children as it is pure and also helps wash away any bacteria from their mouth. Steer clear of fizzy drinks as these are full of sugar ad are harmful to teeth enamel. Also be aware of fruit juice as although you think it may be a healthy option for your children, it is full of sugar which in the long term will cause tooth decay.

Sugar– Everyone knows that sugar is bad for teeth but did you know that there is lots of hidden sugar in foods that are considered to be healthy? You may be surprised to hear that bread contains a lot of sugar as do yoghurts and ready meals. Always read the label on food packaging and look for alternatives with less sugar.

‘H’ for Hygiene – Regular hygienist appointments will help to maintain healthy teeth and gums. The hygienist will be able to give your children’s teeth a thorough clean, something of which they cannot achieve by brushing and flossing alone.

Healthy Snacks- When considering giving your child a snack you need to ensure that it is healthy and low in sugar. Try giving them plain popcorn as a snack as not only is it naturally low in fat, if eaten after a meal it can be very beneficial. The texture of the popcorn acts as natural toothbrush removing some of the harmful bacteria your child may have eaten during their meal.

Thumb sucking- Thumb sucking is very common habit for children but as their permanent teeth develop, sucking their thumb will cause the teeth to be pushed outwards, resulting in them needing to have orthodontic work. Try to encourage your children to stop as young as possible.

Milk before bed– You may be surprised but drinking milk before bed time is very bad for teeth. Although milk is great for growing bones and teeth, the sugars in milk will cause tooth decay as your child sleeps. The reason behind this is that your saliva glands stop working when you are asleep, resulting in your child saliva not able to break down the bacteria in their mouth.

Straighten up their smile- Did you know that straighter teeth are easier to keep clean reducing the risk of long term gum disease and dental decay? Not only is straighter teeth important for your child’s self-esteem, having straight teeth are also easier to clean and can will reduce the risk of gum disease and tooth decay. With the latest technology, your child now has several different brace options from lingual, invisalign and the traditional Damon braces.

 

 

Nearly Half of Working Mums Would Consider Sharing Parental Leave

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keeping children entertained on car journeysSome 44% of working mums would consider sharing their maternity leave with their partner, according to Workingmums.co.uk annual survey.

The number of women who would consider sharing their leave when the new shared parenting legislation comes in next year has risen by 3% since last year and may in part be due to a rising number of women who are the main breadwinners in their families – over 17% of women who were living with a partner say they are the main breadwinner and only in a small number of cases is this because their partner has been made redundant or had to reduce their hours.

The survey of over 2,390 working parents, sponsored by McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd, covers a wide variety of issues, from childcare and flexible working to finances, discrimination and self employment.

It shows that, despite the rise in women breadwinners, the number of women who claim to split childcare and housework equally with their partners is just 21%, down from 27% last year. Some 17% say their partners work flexibly with 4% of partners working part time.

Many women said the economic situation was affecting how long they took for maternity leave. Some 46% had returned to work early due to the recession or cost of living. Some 10% only took between one and three months’ maternity leave. The majority, however, took between seven and 12 months. Although 70% said they went back to work because they needed the money, 60% said they would work even if money was not an issue.

Other findings from the survey include:

– 56% of women say they earn less pro-rata than they did before having children.

– 49% say employers discriminate more against women in the current climate

– 60% think they have to work harder than men due to unconscious bias

– the number of parents using grandparents for childcare has risen. 56% make use of grandparents to reduce their childcare costs, 18% use tax credits, 25% have childcare vouchers; 23% use friends; 8% get older siblings to help and 18% get help from other relatives [many use a combination of options]

– 41% [up 11% on last year] spent nothing on childcare while 20% pay over £500 per month

– 32% say homeworking is their most favoured type of flexible working and homeworking is the most likely thing to encourage more women to work full time.

– 53% said that more flexible working would aid them in their career development

– Most women got the flexible working they requested, but 23% did not with 11% feeling their employer did not even consider their request at all

– Only 13% who had taken a career break found a job fairly easily afterwards

– Most women [53%] want part-time work and 15% of part timers work at least 6-8 hours extra a week

– Just 4% do a job share

– 74% of working mums are logging on to emails outside of their working hours, with 48% doing so regularly.

– 14% of respondents were on a zero hours contract or variable shifts – of these 54% prefer it as it offers flexibility, but 17% find it difficult to arrange all the childcare they need. 28% like it for the flexibility but also find it a challenge with childcare.

Gillian Nissim, founder of Workingmums.co.uk, said: “Our annual survey always throws up a wealth of information on the way women are working or would like to work and what the hurdles many face when attempting to reach their potential. It is interesting to note the appetite for shared parenting in the light of expectations that initial take-up will not be significant. This perhaps reflects a growing awareness among couples of the link between equality in the workplace and at home. It is vital that policy supports parents in having greater choice over how they balance work and family life.”

 

Tips For Long Journeys With Children: Don’t Miss Out On Adventure

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Taking a long journey with young children in tow is never easy.   Aside from the military-type organizational procedures that have to be followed before anyone can leave the house, the actual journey itself can be stressful and leave parents tearing their hair out!  The good news is that there are ways to relieve the stress and keep the journey fairly trouble-free.

keeping children entertained on car journeys

Occupying the kids

 

One of the main issues with any long journey, whether it be by car, train or plane, is that children do get bored.  Anyone with regular experience of long trips with kids will know that making arrangements to keep the children occupied is essential.  When traveling with kids, it is a good idea to allow them to take along a few games or books.  This will help to stave off boredom and is particularly useful when travelling by train or plane where there are usually small lap tables for them to use.  It is important to make sure that they do not get out all of their toys and games all at once.  They should be rationed throughout the journey so that the children do not get bored with everything in the first half hour.  They can pick the toys and games themselves before leaving home, but their choice should be vetted to make sure that they are practical for the trip.

 

Crayons and pads allow children to color or draw their own pictures.  Parents who offer prizes for the resulting creations will find that this helps to keep the children focused for a little longer but need to take care to keep this balanced – each child should win at some point in order to avoid any tantrums!

 

Get a little creative

 

Sometimes a standby like books or travel versions of games like Scrabble just will not keep the kids occupied for long enough.  This is where parents need to show a little creativity.  Children can be encouraged to engage with the journey by talking to their parents about what they can see as they travel – this is a good one for a car journey.  Looking out for landmarks can be turned into a game.

 

Parents can also read up on the places they are going to be visiting and spend some of the journey time talking to the children about them.  It is important not to make this sound like a history or geography lesson – it should be as fun as possible.  For example, a child with an interest in dinosaurs might want to hear about the natural history museum at the destination.  Travel journals are a good option for those who have older children.  Children can describe what they see and add things such as postcards and photos during the stay.  This can be useful when they return to school and are asked to talk about their vacation!

 

Any journey taken with children can be challenging but, with a little forward thinking, it can actually go smoothly.  Giving the kids activities that are relevant to the destination also helps them to feel a part of the trip and not as though they are just along for the ride.

 

http://www.roughguides.com/article/20-tips-for-travelling-with-children/

http://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/387689/jewish/TipsforEasierPlaneTravelingwithKids.htm

 

 

Why Mothers Stop Breastfeeding

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GentleIt’s not your imagination– all babies go through a difficult period around the same age. Research by Dr. Frans Plooij Ph.D. and Dr. Hetty van de Rijt Ph.D., authors of The Wonder Weeks: How to Stimulate Your Baby’s Mental Development and Help Him Turn His 10 Predictable, Great, Fussy Phases Into Magical, has shown that babies make 10 major, predictable, age-linked changes – or leaps – during their first 20 months of their lives taking place around weeks 5, 8, 12, 19, 26, 37, 46, 55, 64 and 75. During this time, they will learn more than in any other time. With each leap comes a drastic change in your baby’s mental development, which not only affects his mood, his health, sleeping patterns and the “three C’s” (crying, clinging and crankiness) but also… babies drinking and comfort seeking habits. Unfortunately these Wonder Weeks are often a reason for moms who do not know about these wonder weeks, to stop breast-feeding their child.

With every new wonder week a baby gets a totally new perception of the world. Every Wonder Week is like waking up on a strange planet. A baby did not ask for this, did not see it coming, but suddenly this whole new world was there. What would you do? You would retreat to a well-known and safe place. For a baby that is mom. How would you do that? By literally clinging to your mom. Being one with her, holding on tight and the best way to do that would be via literally sucking yourself to your mom. This is where breast-feeding and Wonder Weeks meet. Whilst on the one hand Wonder weeks are in fact something good and signal progress in development, on the other hand, when the Wonder Weeks are misunderstood, they are often the reason moms give up breastfeeding.

“My daughter was crying so much that I was afraid something was terribly wrong. She wanted to breastfeed constantly. I took her to see the pediatrician, but he couldn’t find anything wrong with her. He said he just needed to get used to my milk and that many infants went through a similar crying phase at 5 weeks. I thought that is was a strange thing to say, because she hadn’t had any problems with my milk until then. Her cousin, who was the same age, kept crying, too, but he was being bottle-fed. When I told the doctor that, he pretended he hadn’t heard, I didn’t push the subject though. I found out about wonder weeks later on, but I keep on wondering why nobody told me about these wonder weeks earlier.” – Julitte’s mom, 5th week

Wonder Weeks and the milk doubting moms:

Wonder Weeks: One of the reasons mothers stop breastfeeding? As the baby gets more Clingy, Cries more and is more Cranky during a wonder week, many mothers start doubting themselves. Are they doing something wrong? If a baby wants to drink so often, does this mean they do not have enough milk? Or is their milk not good enough? Moms who know their baby is in a wonder week, don’t doubt themselves or their milk.

“Around the third wonder week my daughter suddenly started nursing less. After 5 minutes, she would start playing around with my nipple. After that had gone on for two weeks, I decided to start supplementing my milk with formula, but she wouldn’t have any of that either. This phase lasted 4 weeks. During that time I worried she would suffer from some kind of nutrition deficiency, especially when I saw my milk supply starting to diminish. But now she is drinking like she used to again, and my milk supply is as plentiful as ever. Now I know this is normal behavior during a wonder week. I never doubted my milk again since I know when these wonder weeks are.”
– Hannah’s mom, 19 th week.

Wonder Weeks and the exhausted moms:
Even the moms not doubting their milk sometimes give up breastfeeding. Simply because the impact of the leap on the behavior of their child is wearing them out. The moms that know about Wonder Weeks tend to be less exhausted as they know what is happening and that Wonder Weeks are actually a good thing.

Wonder Weeks and the mom of a six month old:
One of the most difficult leaps is the one of relationships, around six months after due date. The exact same time breast milk alone is not enough anymore and most parents start to give solid food as well. Mom is exhausted from the leap, doesn’t sleep or sleeps very poorly, while at the same time her child needs food. Just days after giving the first ‘meals’, the baby is in a much better mood. Often moms explain this whole sequence of events wrongly and seem to think their child was in need of other milk than theirs. While in fact the child just went through another leap and finished the leap when he turned six months.

Wonder Weeks and nipple cracks or abrasions:
Pain is, logically, one of the reasons moms want to stop feeding their child. When a child is in a Wonder Week he wants to drink many times more often than is normally the case. As this is one of the only times a baby is quiet, a mom doesn’t really pay as much attention to the feeding process as she normally would. Often resulting in wrong feeding positions, resulting in i.e. cracked nipples.

Making parents aware of Wonder weeks will enable parents to understand their baby’s behavior much better and will help many moms to continue feeding their child and to make sure these Wonder Weeks are not a reason to give up.

Dr. Frans Plooij Ph.D. and Dr. Hetty van de Rijt Ph.D. discovered the leap phenomenon while studying chimpanzee mother infant relationships in the Gombe National Park, Tanzania, East-Africa together with Jane Goodall. They are the authors of the book The Wonder Weeks: How to Stimulate Your Baby’s Mental Development and Help Him Turn His 10 Predictable, Great, Fussy Phases Into Magical

Dr. Frans Plooij Ph.D. is always willing to educate professionals about these Wonder weeks, or answer questions via Skype or email. He regularly has Skype sessions with moms around the world.

 

 

Nearly Half of Men Feel Under Pressure To Juggle a Career With Children

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Dads left out in the cold: one in five fathers would like more time off work to bond with their children

  • Nearly half (42%) of men feel under pressure to juggle a career with having children
  • Almost half of fathers (46%) don’t think their workplaces offer enough flexibility to adequately juggle childcare with work
  • Much discrimination against women surrounds preconceptions on their taking time off to have children

gorgeousbaby

It is a man’s world, a part from when it comes to children. Courts tend to favour the mother and many men don’t get to see their own children as much as they like, if at all. In fact, if a couple is not married, the man has no rights at all.

One in five fathers (22%) would like more time off work to bond with their children according to a survey by serviced office provider Business Environment. The research shows that modern men are finding it difficult to maintain a work / life balance that allows them to spend enough time with the kids.

Almost half of fathers (46%) feel that their workplaces do not offer enough flexibility to juggle childcare commitments with work life. While the debate usually revolves around flexibility for mothers, this research highlights that employers are behind the times by overlooking the importance of flexible working for fathers.

When asked about the changes in paternity law that will allow parents to share maternity/paternity from next year, 75% of men and women welcome the changes believing that it will help fathers bond with their children and decrease the discrimination against mothers in the workplace. Those who answered negatively cited reasons such as the cost of implementing new legislation and their belief that childcare is the domain of women.

Positively, more than half (56%) of respondents say they would share leave equally with their partner if given the chance, demonstrating the potential to affect changes in attitudes towards women if it were perceived that men were just as likely to take time off to have children.

David Saul, managing director, Business Environment said: “Since I founded Business Environment 20 years ago, I have seen a huge shift in perceptions about both men and women at home and in the workplace. The view that women should stay at home and look after the kids while the man brings home the money is archaic to say the least. However, our research suggests that employers are not keeping up with the times. We hear a lot about ensuring there is flexibility in place for working mothers, but today it is just as important that men are considered equal in sharing childcare commitments – and that means making allowances in their working schedules too.”

While men may be feeling under pressure, much of the gender discrimination that takes place in the workplace centres on women having children. The research found that more than a quarter of employers would be reluctant to hire a women if she were of child-bearing age (27%) or already has children (26%).

David Saul explains how the change in paternity law may have a positive effect for women, as well as men: “I believe the changes in paternity leave will have a two-fold effect. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, more men taking time out when their children are born will reduce the stigma that still surrounds women in the workplace, opening up more opportunities and making bigger cracks in the glass ceiling. Secondly, of course, it will allow fathers to spend more time bonding with their children.”

 

 

Angelina Jolie Knows Being a Superstar Makes Being A Mum Easier

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Angelina-Jolie-as-MaleficentIt is good to know that some people know how privileged they are and Angelina Jolie sure does. After being asked if she ever feels ‘mom guilt’ she replied.

 

“I’m not a single mom with two jobs trying to get by every day, I have much more support than most people, most women in this world. And I have the financial means to have a home and health care and food.

 

“My kids, they’re here upstairs,” [they were in the hotel she was being interviewed in, upstairs in her room]

 

“When I feel I’m doing too much, I do less, if I can. And that’s why I’m in a rare position where I don’t have to do job after job. I can take time when my family needs it,”

 

“I can say I can only get into the (editing) room after the kids are in school, and I have to be back for dinner, and they’re coming for lunch,”

 

“I actually feel that women in my position, when we have all at our disposal to help us, shouldn’t complain. Consider all the people who really struggle and don’t have the financial means, don’t have the support, and many people are single raising children. That’s hard.”