Little draWins

✏️ Drawings of my little parenting 'wins' created to remind future me that it wasn't all chaos, shared in hope that they may help others too.

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

@P20SunscreenIRL

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

This waterproof suncream is a massive win for hot days in the water.
Most suncreams need reapplying after swimming, and can run into kids eyes in water and make them sting.
P20 soaks into the skin and gives factor 50 protection all day - ideal for paddling pools or sea swims!

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

https://t.co/NMESgyHljh

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

Emotions drive our behaviour. 'Name it to tame it'—a practice from The Whole Brain Child—helps kids understand emotions. By helping them label emotions kids learn to process and recognise feelings and understand that it's normal to have big feeling and they come and go.

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

Why is it sometimes so hard to leave the house with kids?!
My default is normally to demand or harass. A recent little win for me has been to pretend my kids are robots and the (insert any object within easy reach) is their remote. It's more fun and normally gets us going faster!

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

Did you know you can grow butterflies at home? 🦋
Companies like InsectLore send live caterpillars in the post sealed in a little pot full of food. They grow TEN times their original size before spinning into chrysalides and emerging as beautiful butterflies ready to be released.

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

A little gift tip..
When one of my kids asks for something in a shop, instead of buying it immediately we add it to their ‘wish list’ on my phone.
They know we’ll review this list near their Birthday or Christmas so we can decide if it’s still something they “desperately need”.

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

These language shifts also apply to praising academic success, athletic ability and even more general behaviour.

HT: This Little draWin was inspired by @joeycofone and his brilliant book The Laws of Creativity.

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

Did you know that (according to NASA) 98% of 5-year-olds are creative geniuses! This number drops to 12% when we hit 15, and just 2% as adults.

I think one reason our creative instincts dwindle as we age is that we become more aware of how others may judge our work.

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

Here are some approaches that avoid creating the belief that their art work only has value if other people like it...
Avoid non-specific judgements and ask them to tell you what they like about their picture, praise their effort and let them feel proud of themselves.

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

I’m always looking for ways to help my kids eat more healthy food.

A while ago I explained that our tongues and tummies like different foods.

Our tongues may prefer chips, but if we listen carefully we can hear our tummies chanting for things that are good for us.

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

I am always amazed by the hours of fun den building provides. With just a few cushions and a rug my kids’ imaginations run wild - a camp in the forest, an underground lair, an enchanted castle!
I think they find delight in changing their environment and feel safe in small places.

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

...a while ago I came across the idea of using a ‘stop word’, a pre-agreed word that helps clearly communicate pain or overwhelm.

My kids chose the word ‘peaches’, and they both understand that if their sibling, or one of us, cries ‘peaches!’ they have to stop play immediately.

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

Do you ever struggle to tell when a wrestling or tickling match has gone too far, and someone is actually getting hurt?

Sometimes a cry of pain can sound like joy, and make it hard for children to know when to stop the game...

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

Ear infections are the worst!

My son get's them super easily, particularly from swimming. Putting swim seal in his ears before he jumps in seems to really help.

The drops contain tea tree oil and create a waterproof coating to keep water and bacteria out.

Thanks @SwimSeal! ❤️

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

Tired of lost pen lids and crawling around under restaurant tables?

We love our Stabilo Cappi pens and their clever connected caps. https://t.co/SKWjD3WTS9

With washable ink and a non-rolling shape they're ideal for colouring on-the-go! Thanks @STABILO ❤️

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

Want to jazz up toothbrush time?

We love the Yoto Toothbrush Timer, a free 2-minute clip that encourages brushing with a catchy tune that has my kids bobbing around the bathroom.

We play it on our Yoto Mini, but you can get it for free through their app.
Thanks @yotoplay!

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

When my kids are doing something I deem antisocial, my natural instinct is to ask them to stop doing it.

Recently I've been trying to ask for what I do want instead. For example “No running!” becomes “Walking feet!”. I find this tricky but I can see how it is a better approach!

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

When my kids are doing something I deem antisocial, my natural instinct is to ask them to stop doing it.

Recently I've been trying to ask for what I do want instead. For example “No running!” becomes “Walking feet!”. I find this tricky but I can see how it is a better approach!

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

Roll a cylinder! Rolling in a straight line is much easier and when you stand it up it’s ready to connect straight to the snow. Brush down the top to round the shoulders and the body is good to go!
Best wishes for a play-filled 2023 with your kids.
Thank you for following!

[Little draWins @Little_draWins]

Do you want to build a snowman? Read on!
This holiday we were lucky enough to have a white Christmas. TV& stories tell us that the first step is to roll a giant ball of snow, before pushing snow around the base to fix in place as the snowman’s body but here's a better plan...