When / why do children become more fussy? We spoke about the neophobic stage (which goes right back to when we were cave people!) as well as other reasons why babies and children might be choosy about food.

1. What happens when panic sets in and our children refuse to eat?
2. Some tips to help children with learning about what they like and portion control.
3. Offering alternatives?
4. Watching our children eat “please just try it!!!”and how it feels for them.
5. How the neophobic stage is also the ‘terrible twos’ stage.
6. ‘Tricking’ / bribing children to get them to eat.
7. Did Claire’s dad buy cabbage for tea! Of course he did 😉!
8. How important it is for children to be sitting in a position where their back and feet are supported to eat comfortably and well.
9. Sweet and savoury – puddings, how we are conditioned from childhood, building good food habits.

Our food and weaning blogs - https://www.bespokefamily.co.uk/blog/category/Food+and+weaning

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Facebook @bespokefamily

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‘Your Guide to...’ (our downloadable webinars including preparing for and welcoming your newborn, behaviour, toilet training, sleep and more)

This podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative

We started the conversation by acknowledging that some adults don’t necessarily show much affection even though they are very caring people and children are the same.

We spoke about:

• How there is nothing better than a lovely cuddle from a child and it can feel difficult when a child doesn’t necessarily want this from us.
• The other ways that children show affection to us.
• The importance of never expecting children to give hugs or show physical affection
• 5 Love Languages – how physical touch isn’t always the most important to fulfil children’s affection.
• Quality time and the importance of this to children.
• Being the ‘preferred parent’

Our blog - Why doesn't my child show much affection?

Instagram @bespokefamily Facebook @bespokefamily

For information about a Bespoke Family Parent Consultation click here

‘Your Guide to...’ (our downloadable webinars including preparing for and welcoming your newborn, behaviour, toilet training, sleep and more)

This podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative

There are swear words in this episode so please make sure that little ears aren’t listening 🙉 ...!

This episode is all about when your child, all of a sudden, says a swear word (or something they think is a swear word!) and what you can do about it. We spoke about:

• How sometimes in families where there is so much swearing that the children don’t actually swear!
• Overuse of swear words and how much more it is heard on a day to day basis now (including in songs on the radio and as graffiti!! - Claire has a funny story about this 😬).
• When children take you by surprise with a swear word!
• When children copy us 🫣!!
• How children love making people laugh and how it can be confusing when we then change our reaction from laughing to saying "no don’t say that!". Ways we can react instead.
• What to say when children ask what a swear word means 😳.
• Some of Claire’s funny experiences of children swearing in nursery!
• When children get older and use swear words.

Instagram @bespokefamily

Read our blog on this topic here – How to handle children using swear words!

For information about a Bespoke Family Parent Consultation click here

‘Your Guide to...’ (our downloadable webinars including preparing for and welcoming your newborn, behaviour, toilet training, sleep and more)

This podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative

This episode is all about looking after children when they are feeling under the weather and the bugs that they bring home from nursery and school (how is it that we sometimes feel so much worse than they do?!).

We talked about lots of things you can do to help little ones feel better and more comfortable as well as:

• The time of year that children tend to get more bugs (or whether that’s really a thing).
• The chickenpox vaccine and what this means for babies, children and families.
• Hygiene – washing hands, hand sanitiser, keeping toys clean etc.
• Temperatures – what is a high temperature and how do you get it down?
• When you shouldn’t give Ibuprofen.
• The medicine box / cupboard and what should be in it.
• Keeping hydrated.
• When a baby has a temperature or isn’t well.
• The importance of not randomly Googling! How you should always refer to the NHS or call 111 for answers / guidance.
• First Aid training and how helpful this can be.
• Tips for when children are coughing (including some old wives tales!) and the nasal aspirator (snot sucker!).
• Changing habits and routines and how to re-introduce them when the child is feeling better.

NHS Apps:

Handi App The HANDi app offers simple and straightforward advice, for the following conditions in children:

• diarrhoea and vomiting
• high temperature
• ‘chesty baby’ illnesses, such as bronchiolitis, asthma and croup
• ‘chesty child’ illnesses, such as wheezing and asthma
• common newborn problems
• tummy pain
• head injuries.

The Healthier Together App

Similar to HANDi, it uses a symptom checker to guide parents on whether to treat at home, seek GP advice, or attend emergency services.

Instagram @bespokefamily

For information about a Bespoke Family Parent Consultation click here

‘Your Guide to...’ (our downloadable webinars including preparing for and welcoming your newborn, behaviour, toilet training, sleep and more)

This podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative

Steph told us all about Mudpies and Sprinkles and how it began. It’s an outdoor play space for children (and Becks waxed lyrical about it!) - Steph’s love for watching children enjoying different elements of play really shone through.

Steph hasn’t got any formal training and learnt what worked along the way and through her own children.

We talked about:

• Things you can do when you are outside (even just being at the park)
• All of the different areas in Mudpies and Sprinkles and why there are there (eg an old phone, a sewing machine etc!)
• Sparking curiosity in children and the importance of making things inviting for children to want to engage and play with
• Steph’s favourite areas at Mudpies and Sprinkles (and why!)
• Children with additional needs and how this kind of outdoor play area can help to support them
• How when we were younger that being outside and making mud pies was what we did!
• How there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes!
• The importance of letting children make their own play and keeping it open ended
• Following your child’s lead and not worrying about ‘doing it right’!

Instagram @bespokefamily / @Mudpies_and_sprinkles

Mudpies and Sprinkles website

For information about a Bespoke Family Parent Consultation click here

‘Your Guide to...’ (our downloadable webinars including preparing for and welcoming your newborn, behaviour, toilet training, sleep and more)

This podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative

Becks’s children both cried when they were dropped off at nursery so she knows exactly how this feels and Claire has lots and lots of experiences of children crying at drop off as a nursery manager.

We talked about:

• How there are always going to be children who don’t like the separation moment; as Claire explains 9 times out of 10 they will be OK when you have left (but they might also cry when you pick them up).
• Separation anxiety – how this can coincide with the age that children start to go to nursery.
• Days and times of the week they are left – how these can be difficult for children to understand (especially Mondays!)
• Other reasons children might be unsettled on drop off and how change can have a huge impact on how settled children are.
• How it’s important to trust the childcare professional and what they say about how your children are.
• Letting your children know it’s OK to feel sad and knowing that you are building resilience.
• Some ideas for things you can do to help make the separation a little easier.
• How it is important to always say goodbye and not sneak off (but don’t drag it out!).
• If your child is upset all day, then this is a different thing and how you should always talk to someone at the nursery in more detail about it.

Blog – My child always cries when I drop them at nursery

For information about a Bespoke Family Parent Consultation click here

‘Your Guide to...’ (our downloadable webinars including preparing for and welcoming your newborn, behaviour, toilet training, sleep and more)

Facebook @bespokefamily

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This podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative

Unfortunately, Claire’s wifi wasn’t playing ball again in this episode, but Becks had a great chat with Catherine and this is what we talked about!

• Where the idea for Hygge sheets came from.
• Different ways night time dryness / potty training / wetting etc. are referred to.
• How Hygge sheets work.
• How you can tell when a child is ready to be dry at night.
• What Catherine suggests you do when your little one is upset when they have had an accident.
• The dream wee – yes or no?
• Talking through what happens and what to do when your children wake up in the night to go for a wee (night lights etc).
• When children are older and wetting the bed.
• Reward charts – why aren’t they helpful?
• What Catherine wishes all parents knew about bed wetting.

Facebook @bespokefamily / @hygge_supplies

Instagram @bespokefamily / @hygge.sheets

Hygge Sheets website

ERIC website

Blog –When should my child be dry at night?

Podcast – Nighttime Dryness

For information about a Bespoke Family Parent Consultation click here

‘Your Guide to...’ (our downloadable webinars including preparing for and welcoming your newborn, behaviour, toilet training, sleep and more)

This podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative

In this our 100th episode! We talked about:

• The importance of the transition from nursery / school to home but also for us going from work to home (especially if you are working from home!).
• How you can’t always be your ‘true self’, how things build up and how we have to hold it together when you aren’t at home and it comes out when you get home.
• Some ideas for what you can do to decompress before getting home.
• Connection before redirection – a few tweaks to the routine or some pre preparation can make a difference to coming home time.
• Not necessarily asking lots of questions when children come out of school or nursery.
• There may be particular triggers and worries that prompt behaviour and these are things that you might need to look into and support them further.
• How you sometimes just need to allow your children let it out when they get home.
• Keeping our calm.

Facebook @bespokefamily

Instagram @bespokefamily

Blog – 10 ways to help tricky behaviour after school / How to help your child prepare for starting school / How do I keep calm when my little one is having a meltdown?

Podcast – Starting school / Preparing children for nursery

For information about a Bespoke Family Parent Consultation click here

‘Your Guide to...’ (our downloadable webinars including preparing for and welcoming your newborn, behaviour, toilet training, sleep and more)

This podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative