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Christmas is upon us and a lot of us as parents are trying to figure out what presents are suitable for our little ones. I have been trying to figure out myself what to get my daughter for Christmas. When I look into purchasing a toy for her, I always look for something that she could have fun with and also benefit from intellectually. There is a lot of research and work that goes into picking out a present for a child. Here are five Christmas gift ideas for kids.

Pop it toys

Pop it toys are currently the new trend in children. Not only are they not common toys but they are also very educational. Pop it toys are sensory toys that assist in relieving anxiety and stress. They also assist children with their focus span. This is a good way to ensure your kids are learning, focused and having fun at the same.

Tablets

This Christmas gift idea will depend on how old your child is. If your child is older chances are they already own a tablet. I recently gifted my daughter with a tablet as a second birthday present and as an early Christmas present. From my experience, she has improved so much in her speech ever since she started using it. She has learnt a lot of words and has learnt many rhymes and songs. She has also gotten so good with puzzles and problem solving. It is so amazing seeing her identify the characters she watches in her tablet in real life.

Play kitchen

A play kitchen would be a great Christmas gift idea for your little one. What’s nice is that this is also a gender neutral gift. You can gift your little boy or girl with a play kitchen as a Christmas present this Christmas. Children are curious tiny people and they always want to be help us in the activities we do daily. My daughter enjoys helping me in the kitchen. Everyday I make something in the kitchen I put her on the kitchen counter and I involve her in making our meals. I know that she will always want to be my little helper but getting her a play kitchen for Christmas would make her really happy. It would be nice to visit her in her tiny kitchen where she would host me for a change and make me some tea.

Doll house

A doll house would make a great Christmas present for your baby girl. Girls are known for their nurturing instincts and they are quite glamorous too. A doll house where they can change their dolls into different outfits and have a whole doll house to play with would be a dream come true for your baby girl. This could also be a great way to get them off from streaming online. Buying a dollhouse for your daughter is a great way of limiting screen time whilst encouraging their social, mental and manual skills. It’s a great opportunity for your daughter’s imagination to run wild whilst improving their creativity. Doll houses also instill a lot of discipline in children because they learn to organise things as a result they implement that discipline discipline in their real lives.

Bicycle

Outside play is really important for children and what better way to do that than getting your child their first bicycle as a Christmas present. Instead of being cooked up indoors your little one will be outdoors having fun riding his or her new bicycle. Bicycles have a lot of advantages in children. Having a bicycle will keep your child physically active, their muscle strength and flexibility will improve. Their posture and coordination will also improve.

How I juggled motherhood and my studies during level 1 lockdown definitely took a lot of determination and planning. Covid 19 changed a lot of things in the world. As a result most people’s lives changed to accommodate what was going on in the world. It was quite a testing time for me and I had to be quick and think of how I was going to juggle motherhood and my studies. There is no magical way in which I did it but I just had to remind myself that I was doing a good job and that I won’t get it right everyday.

Set up a timetable for your school work and a separate one for your motherhood role

The first thing I did was to set up a zoom timetable for all the classes I was taking for each semester. I pasted my timetable on my wall so that I wouldn’t forget it. Mother’s have a lot on their plate not to mention full time mothers hence its easy for some things to slip your mind. I set reminders for test dates and other important dates I had to remember. I wrote a personal study timetable for myself.

I spent at least two hours every night studying the two modules that were in my timetable for that day. In order to attend my zoom classes, I would rock sometimes rock my daughter to sleep thirty minutes before the zoom lecture began. However, I couldn’t attend everyday. There were times where I wouldn’t attend my zoom classes. If I attended, I wouldn’t even hear what was being talked about in the lecture. This is the reality of online learning as a full time parent. When I started missing some of my zoom lectures I knew I had to get help. I used to ask my classmates to record lectures for me luckily for me, most lecturers would record the lectures and post them online.

Study when the baby is sleeping

I did most of my studying at night when my daughter slept. I would go through the days work and if there was a specific test to prepare for I’d prepare for that test. I found studying in the evenings to be very productive for me. In the evenings I’d make myself a cup of coffee to stay awake. It was so much better to focus at night since the house was quiet. I could process my thoughts, the knowledge I have studied and just take some time to think about life.

Juggling full time motherhood and school was the hardest thing I have ever done. There were nights where I would pass out without having read a single slide. At the time I used to beat myself up so much for that. Now I wish I was more kind to myself. I was just a mother who was exhausted from all the diaper changes and the feedings during the day to a point where I just couldn’t study at some nights. It is totally fine to feel overwhelmed and tired I also wish I didn’t beat myself up that much. I learnt that what had happened the day before was yesterday’s events and it shouldn’t determine what I do the day after.

Accept or seek help for your motherhood duties and your school work

No man is an island and we can’t do it all alone as much as we may want to. I accepted the help that was offered to me by people and I also looked for help. I would sometimes ask one of my class mates to explain a concept I was a struggling with. I did a lot of revision past papers to prepare myself for my exams. There is honestly no set way to cope and deal with balancing parenting and academics .Time management and a good timetable was a huge help for me in my journey.

Five birthday celebration ideas for kids. Kids parties can be really expensive. When it comes to my daughter’s birthday parties, I try not to splurge. It is totally okay to go overboard with your child’s birthday party if you can. As a mom who is always on a tight budget I always try to be creative when planning birthday parties for my daughter. To save some costs, I usually DIY the things I can so I can spend as little as I can. There are quite a number of options you could choose from as a mom on a tight budget

Photo Shoot or a cake smash shoot

For my daughter’s first birthday, I booked a cake smash shoot for her. To my convenience, the shoot price included her outfit, cake, decor, professional photos and a water bath shoot afterwards. I found this idea to be very convenient because I just payed for the photo shoot and everything else came with it so I didn’t have to plan anything.

A picnic set up

Picnic set ups are quite easy to do. You can use a lot of items you already have at home for this idea. You can use your items from home like a throw for a picnic blanket or an actual picnic blanket if you have it. Cushions, plates, cups are also some items you can get from home. You will end up having to buy snacks, a couple of decorations , food and the birthday cake which is very affordable.

An adventurous trip

Tjis idea is a bit broad. Kids are very curious little creatures and there is nothing better than surprising them with a trip to see the world. It could be any kind of trip as long as you know your child will love it. Perhaps it could be a trip to the zoo, a trip to the aquamarine or a carnival or a concert.

A camping trip

Kids llove camping. For this idea, you can set up tents in your yard. You can also set up a little treasure hunt to keep them on their feet. You can make the fire and have them dip their mashmallows in there.

Movie themed party

You can screen your child’s favourite movie at home. You can just provide kids with some snacks and have each of them dress up as their favourite movie character.

What is inside my hospital diaper bag? or rather what should I put inside my hospital bag. I think all first time moms ask themselves that question when it’s almost time for birth. When I was pregnant, I was a first time mother who had no access to private health care. I searched and searched for what I should put in my hospits diaper bag. I found a lot of things to be confusing since I had no gynaecologist or midwife to prepare me for birth. Before I mention the list of items to pack for the hospital, I highly advise that you have your hospital diaper bag packed as early as 35 weeks. Some babies come early hence its highly recommended to be prepared to avoid last minute hassles.

Sometimes we as first time moms are so overwhelmed by people’s different advices and opinions to an extent where we end up not knowing who to listen to. I remember I packed and unpacked my hospital bag two times. A lot of people have different opinions especially to first time moms because honestly we really don’t have any idea what we are doing yet. From my experience when I went to deliver my daughter the following list is all I needed.

Hospital diaper bag

This is the first thing you need because that’s where you will pack all of the things you need for the baby. Bigger diaper bags are more recommended since you can fit everything into one bag. Carrying a lot of bags can be a lot of work so if you can get one big bag that’s a great option.

Pack a pair of wipes in your hospital diaper bag

Newborns are known for their diarrhea. A pack of wipes is very important to ensure your child is clean and to prevent infections. It is advisable to use a brand of wipes that accommodates the sentitivity of your child’s skin.

Two nursing bras

A small pack of diapers

Getting a pair of nursery friendly bras is a necessesity especially with all the breastfeeding you will be doing once your little one is born.

A pack of martenity pads

Postpartum bleeding is quite a thing and it’s always good to come prepared with a pack of martenity pads to make sure you are as comfortable as you can be with the brand you have chosen.

Two night gowns

It’s always better to overpack a little bit than to underpack especially since everything is uncertain about the birthing process. It may happen that you have to stay a bit longer in hospital hence its better to pack two gowns.

Socks

Pack a pair of slippers in your hospital diaper bag

Phone charger

Two or three vests for the baby

Vests are extremely important to make sure your little one is comfortable and warm.

Two or three rompers

Two receiving blankets or swaddling blankets

Two hats for the baby

Hats are also essentials especially since newborns are tiny and need extra covering.

Breast pads

The first day of breastfeeding for me was a mess. I had forgotten to pack breast pads in my hospital diaper bag and the morning after I woke up with my bed soaking wet from all the breast milk that leaked during the night. This really should be at the top of the list.

Car seat

Before I packed my hospital diaper bag, I checked with the hospital I was going to deliver in what they offered and to my surprise I didn’t have to pack diapers and martenity pads since they offered them. I am sending my love and wishing you a safe delivery.

Dealing with an unplanned planned pregnancy can be emotionally daunting. I received the biggest shock of my life two years ago when I found out that I was pregnant. Back then I was still a student in law school reliant solely on my financial aid meal allowance to get myself by. How was I going to raise this child?. I was a full time student and what money was I going to raise it with as a broke university student. I have formulated a list of five steps that could help anyone deal with being pregnant unexpectedly.

Be aware that you are still in shock.

After you have just become aware of your unplanned pregnancy, a lot of things will not make sense to you even the pregnancy itself. I stayed in the shock stage for a couple of weeks. It is so important to not make any impulsive decisions that may result in a permanent change in your life during this stage. There were a lot of thoughts running through my mind. Some of my thoughts I actually ended up regretting later on in my pregnancy. Try to process the news and get used to the idea of being pregnant.

Allow yourself to feel.

There are a lot of emotions and thoughts that can run into one’s mind during such a time. I felt disappointed, angry, confused and I had never felt so overwhelmed in my life. I allowed myself to feel however I was feeling and didn’t beat myself for how I was feeling inside. As depressed as I was, I spent most of my time alone just to weigh out my options and ensure that whatever decision I take wouldn’t be influenced by anyone else. When we confide in people, some tend to influence our decisions or to make us feel guilty for how we may be feeling about certain situations. I would advise that you pass this phase first before confiding in anyone unless you feel like your life may be in danger then you can seek relevant assistance.

Weigh out different options.

Every choice you make will have a major consequence on your life in the future. There are three known options you can choose if you are pregnant unexpectedly. You can choose to terminate the pregnancy, Give the child up for adoption at birth or choose to raise the child personally. No decision between the three is easy taking. First look at the advantages and the disadvantages of each option before choosing an option. Abortion has often been stigmatised as unethical and unbiblical. However it has been one of the best options for certain individuals. We need to acknowledge that our circumstances aren’t the same. We as women fall pregnant under different circumstances not to mention our different backgrounds.

Prepare yourself for the decision you have taken.

I decided to keep and raise my child. The next decision for me was to prepare for her arrival. Try to fix what you can before your little one comes into the world. Start being more cautious with money. It’s not all of us that will choose to become mothers and that’s totally fine. Terminating the pregnancy needs you to seek medical health care. You also need to seek therapy to assist you and to ensure that you go through this process as safely as you can. If you decide to give the child up for adoption then you need to familiarise yourself with the adoption process and if needs be contact adoption agencies.

Accept and learn to live with the decision you have taken.

This is the time when your mind starts to settle after a very hectic phase of constant worry. Try to cope and learn to live with your decision. For any decision you take. Therapy is recommendable. If it’s not accessible, joining support groups and social media groups with people going through the same thing will be a great help . There is so much comfort when you are surrounded by people who understand what you are going through. To anyone who is feeling overwhelmed right now I am sending my love. Please contact me or leave a comment for further commu