Keeping your baby safe in the Spanish Sun ...

The long hot summer is one of the many reasons we all love living in Spain, yet it’s important to protect babies and toddlers from the harmful rays while still enjoying getting out and about and having fun on the beach and at the pool.

To make the most of this summer in Spain, follow our tips for a safe sunny summer!

Babies, Toddlers and the Sun in Spain … The Facts!

Well the good news is that summer does mean we can spend more time outside and research does suggest that babies and toddlers who spend lots of time outdoors each day are happier and sleep more soundly! However exposure to the Sun’s Ultraviolet rays, also know as UV rays causes the skin to burn and dry out and can lead to skin cancer. In fact Cancer Research in the UK recently stated that sunburn during childhood can double the risk of skin cancer melanoma’s in later life.

It’s no surprise that young skin is far more delicate and therefore vulnerable to the sun than adult skin. A baby’s skin is actually only a 5th as thick as an adults skin meaning children therefore burn a lot more quickly than an adult when exposed to the sun. Children with far or red hair, pale eyes and freckles are at most risk but all children should be completely protected from the sun when outside, with babies being kept in the shade as much as possible. A baby’s skin is so sensitive that it can only take 10 -15 minutes of exposure to the sun for a baby to burn.

Sadly twice as many adults get skin cancer now than 20 years ago, so protecting your baby or toddler is of huge importance. Enjoying the summer is about balance … let your baby or toddler enjoy their time outside but ENSURE they are protected. Don’t forget however that babies under six months are less able to regulate their body temperatures and so will probably prefer to be in the shade or indoors during the hottest parts of the day to ensure they don’t overheat. Once babies are on the able to crawl and on the move however they are in danger of burning and must be constantly protected from the strong UV rays. Babies heads are most at danger and should always be covered with a hat or sunshade. Don’t forget too that babies need plenty of fluids in the hot summer sun.

Whatever the age of your child, experts recommend keeping babies and toddlers out of the midday sun altogether and indoors or in the shade between 11am and 3pm. Don’t forget the sun can still damage your child’s skin even if it is cloudy! Babies in particular with their thin and delicate skin burn easily on a cloudy day because it’s not just the visible sunny heat that does the damage, but the invisible UV light.


Protecting Your Baby and Toddler From the Sun in Spain...

· Choose a sun cream that’s specifically for babies or small children, these will be a high factor and anti allergy. Don’t forget sun creams do GO OFF so last years probably won’t be any good. Don’t forget to reapply sun cream throughout the day even if waterproof. If your child resists a lotion, then buy a spray as toddlers often find these more fun! Experts recommend applying cream approx 30 mins before first going out in the sun.

· Invest in some proper baby/toddler sunglasses … these might seem a bit of a gimmick but if they are proper UV glasses they will protect your child’s eyes from the glare of the sun and UV rays. Toy sunglasses can do more harm than good. Indybel stock the Baby Banz range of protective UV baby sunglasses in Spain. Click here to find out more ....

· UV tents are a great invention, not just for the beach but for back gardens too. Encourage your children to use the tent as a play area or use for babies to shelter on the beach. UV tents are particularly good as the sun is more intense near areas where there is water, or surfaces such as white walls or cement. If you spend a lot of time near one of these ‘suntraps’ a tent is a great way to ensure your child has somewhere to go that is totally protected. UV tents are a good investment for families who live in hot climates. Indybel now stock the JoJo Maman Bebe family sized UV pop up tent in Spain. Click here to find out more ....

· If you don’t have a tent ensure your outside space has lots of extra shade by fixing canopies from trees and umbrellas.

· Keep your baby and child covered … invest in loose, cool, cotton long sleeve clothing for running around or for your baby to wear when sitting in a hot buggy. For toddlers the UV protective swim ranges are a good investment and loose T Shirts are a must for running around. Don’t forget wet clothing looses up to half it’s UV protectiveness so change your child into dry clothing after their swim.

· Make sure your car has sun shades on the window as it is actually possible to get sun burnt through glass and try to cool the car down before putting your children inside.

· Babies can get heat rashes, burn’t and become uncomfortable in their pushchairs in the hot summer months. Minimise clothing and ensure you have a good sunshade which provides total protection to both the top of the head and the rest of their bodies from all directions. Small parasol type sunshades and hoods are not good enough to provide total protection. Indybel stock the Shade-a-babe sunshade which offers complete and total UV protection for babies in pushchairs and total piece of mind for parents in Spain. Click here to find out more ...

· Find and invest in a sunhat that your child likes and will wear. Encourage your child to wear a hat with a wide brim or front and back. The wider the protection over the forehead, eyes, ears and neck area the better! Baseball caps are better than nothing but do leave some areas exposed. Small babies with less hair are very vulnerable to head burn and must always wear a hat. Indybel stock the UV protective Baby banz sunhat range in sizes for both baby and toddler in Spain. Click here to find out more ....

www.indybel.com are dedicated to helping you protect your baby and toddler from the sun this summer. We now stock a range of UV protective products including sunglasses, wide brimmed sunhats, UV tents and the Shade-a-babe. To find out more about our products simply visit our site.

Choosing a nursery in Spain

As september looms many mums are confronted with the dilemma of whether or not to send their child to nursery and then having made that momentous decision, you are faced with another ....how to choose the right nursery for you and your child ....

Choosing a nursery for you little one is a very personal and often difficult decision. For many this is the first time they will be separated from their child on a daily basis and sometimes the child is little more than a baby! Bella started nursery at 22 months last September. Nearly a year on I can honestly say that nursery has been nothing but positive for both of us and I am incrediably happy with both my decision and the nursery we choose. I think that even if I had not been working I would have sent Bella to nursery as she has so much fun and has developed so much from her time there and in some ways not having her around in the mornings makes our afternoons together more special!!

I decided to send Bella to nursery as our business http://www.indybel.com/ was launching and myself and my business partner were incrediably busy. We needed some time to concerntrate on work before we went mad and my robust and challenging toddler was ready for some stimulation as she was becoming increasingly fed up with mummy tapping away on the laptop!

I did quite a lot of reseach into the nurseries in my area. I decided that I wanted a bilingual setting as I wanted Bella to learn Spanish at nursery. However her command of English was also good at home that I wanted her to be able to make herself understood and to understand the teachers, so a bilingual nursery was definitly right for us.
I discounted a few nurseries on distance from our home and one because there were a long list of rules the children had to follow on it's website which I felt was a bit much for a 1 year old who really just wanted to have fun. In the end I made an appointment to visit Costa Kinder Care in Benalmadena which was perfect as I'd heard positive things about it and it was only a ten minute drive from our home.

On our first visit to Costa Kinder Care I was impressed by the facilites which included bright and sunny classrooms, a lovely outdoor play area full of toys and slides and a friendly and family orientated atmosphere. I was also impressed that the nursery provided balanced meals for the children which were based on health authority guidelines and that they invited health and safety inspectors to make random checks. I was told that there was a high staff to child ratio in each classroom, that children were encouraged to learn a second language and that learning was fun based with an emphasis on developing the child's social skills, encouraging their independence, helping them to form friendships and increase their confidence. I was so impressed with the nursery after this first visit that I signed Bella up for September without hesitation. I decided to start with just mornings which would be from 9am - 1pm and see how we went.

I was pleased too, when I paid an improtu visit to the nursery to pay my deposit, to see that all the children there looked really happy and were hugging the staff etc and all the staff seemed to know all the children ... little things like that are really important.

When September came it was time to start nursery. I won't lie and say the first two weeks were easy as they weren't! My little girl was not happy to be parted from mummy and spent most of the first week in tears. But the staff were great. They suggested I stay with her on the first day, sit in reception on the second and then leave her when we both felt ready. They suggested staggering how long she spent at nursery the first week to get her used to it and not taking her to the dinning room for lunch as she was just getting used to the classroom and so they didn't want to disorientate her. It's hard to leave your child in tears but I knew the staff would look after her and so I stuck with it! Just when I was starting to despair half way through week 2 she suddenly settled down and her teachers told me she had joined in some of the activities and made some friends. By week 3 she was really starting to enjoy herself and by the end of the first month she had properly settled and was having a great time. It's lovely when you go to pick your child up and see her dancing round the classroom and holding hands with her new little friends! The teachers had become a big hit too and at weekends Bella was quite put out by not being able to see them!

Bella models her Easter Bonnet at the nursery's annual Easter parade!

I also knew she was happy because she was eating really well. I'd signed Bella up for lunch ( which is optional ) and her little daily report book informed me that she was eating the full 3 courses most days ( more than she does at home! ) More than that she was learning a few table manners too! I'm sure she's a lot better behaved when eating at nursery than when she eats out with us!

The little daily report book also informed me if she'd done anything particularly unusual and of her daily bowel movements! ( very important info for us mums! ) It was so cute too to start receiving little pictures and models that she'd made when she came home.

I definitly think Bella's development has come on in leaps and bounds since starting nursery. The monthly themes are set out for parents to see and her age group explore things like colours, shapes and numbers. I have noticed she understands certain Spanish words and phrases and most of all is much better at sharing and playing with other children now. It's so sweet to hear her talk about her little friends and to tell me what activities she has done during the morning.

I am more than happy for Bella to stay at Costa Kinder Care next year. Although we had the option of moving her to a Spanish school ( which we will do want to do at primary level ) we decided that as she is so happy it would be a shame to move her. She is very comfortable with her teachers and friends and this was proved when she moved up a class at Easter and settled down again very quickly. When she moves to infant level her activities will be slightly more educational and she will also be spending a week communicating in just English and then a week in just Spanish which I hope will really encourage her use of the second language and prepare her for Spanish school.

I believe you can tell a lot about a nursery if you visit during dropping off and picking up times. At Bella's nursery the children are literally racing to their classrooms when you drop them off and you rarely see tears. At pick up times the relaxed parents and happy tired children says it all! I find it incrediable that when I follow Bella around the school, staff I've never seen before know her name and she greets them all and is brimming with confidence.

Having had such a positive nursery experience in Spain I'd urge all parents in the area to consider Costa Kinder Care, and have no hesitation in recommending this happy, family orientated and fun nursery ...

To find out more about Costa Kinder Care simply visit their website or call 952 448 007

Costa Kinder Care is fully licensed with the British and Spanish authorities and Ofsted inspected. Accredited by the Junta de Andalucia.

Swaddling

As in the UK, swaddling is suddenly popular and fashionable again here in Spain with more and more midwives, hospitals and mums realising and recommending the benefits of swaddling. But what exactly is Swaddling and how do first time mums learn to swaddle?

What is Swaddling?

Swaddling has been used for thousands of years to help newborns adjust to life outside the womb. The idea is basically to ‘swaddle’ or wrap your baby so that they feel warm, secure and comfortable when sleeping. Many midwives throughout the world are fans of swaddling and often teach new mums to swaddle in the hospital.

The popularity of swaddling has risen again in recent years due to research that has suggested swaddling aids more peaceful sleep in babies as swaddling recreates the secure environment felt in the womb and prevents babies waking themselves with reflex movements.

Studies have also suggested that swaddling can help to enhance development in low birth weight babies, reduce the risk of cot death, sooth over stimulated babies and also help to reduce symptoms of colic by applying gentle pressure to their abdominal area.

Swaddling - A mums experience of Swaddling

One of my good friends who now runs the website http://www.kidsinmarbella.com/ swaddled her son until he was 5 months old. Here she shares her experience of swaddling ...

"I hadn't really thought of swaddling before. My son was wrapped up tight by the hospital staff after he was born, but I thought nothing of it, but looking back it made sense considering where he had been for the last 9 months!

I started the swaddling in earnest when I was running out of ideas and family members magic rocking knees, to try and stop my son crying with what we think was a touch of colic.

I read somewhere that swaddling babies with colic can help, so it was well worth a try. It comforts them, reminding them of the safety of the womb, all wrapped up, warm and safe and this definately helps to calm them down

I swaddled my son till he was 5 months which is slightly longer than recommended but he loved it, in fact he couldn't sleep without it and it guaranteed me some time off.

I would definately recommend trying it to anyone whos baby has colic or has problems sleeping, there is something primative about swaddling, that gave both me and my son a feeling of comfort."

How to Swaddle?

You can swaddle with a normal sheet or blanket, but many new mums find 'ready made' swaddling blankets or robes easier to use as they are designed to 'swaddle' your baby in just a few easy movements ... particularly handy if your baby is resisting, overtired or irritable.

At http://www.indybel.com/ we now stock the JoJo Maman Bebe organic swaddling robe.( pictured above )

The JoJo Maman Bebe swaddling robe is pre-folded and easy to use with Velcro™ fastening. It helps babies feel snug and secure.

Suitable from birth.

100% Organic Cotton.

Useful Swaddling Tips

Always ensure your baby’s swaddling is not too tight by checking you can slip your fingers down the top of the sheet.

Additional sheets and blankets are not normally required on top of swaddling, unless in very cold temperatures. You may however want to adjust the clothing your baby is wearing beneath the swaddling robe to the time of year.

If your baby resists swaddling you can try swaddling from the chest down so the baby's hands and arms are free to move around.

Potty Training ... Part 1!

My daughter is now 2 and a half so it seems about time that she start to master the potty and I can stop forking out huge amounts of money on nappies. ( Yes, I would have used cloth but our company didn't exist when she was born! )

So where to start with potty training? My business partner 'trained' her daughter at 18 months, as with another one on the way she needed to do it as soon as possible. While this is quite early there are def advantages to at least trying to potty train when younger. Cost is one of course, but also toddlers are less aware of their bodily functions and less embarresed about going to the toilet at a younger age and are also more likely to do as they are told! Potty training a head strong 2 and a half year old suddenly seems a rather difficult feat, especially as this particular toddler seems to have suddenly formed a new love affair with her nappy and is reluctant to let me take it off.

But the time has come and the weather is perfect for letting little one's run around semi naked and so this week I have begun to take her nappy off in the afternoons ( at morning she's at nursery ) and encourage her to use her potty.

The first afternoon was a bit of a non event. She sat for hours on the potty with her new potty book which she loved, but no wee wee ... not a dribble! This made me think that maybe she can control her bladder and is waiting for the nappy to go on before doing anything ...oppps seriously the wrong psychology and another reason why earlier may be better!

The next day though we had a result ... two wee wee's in the potty and a bit on the patio. She was rewarded with wee wee sweeties ...
Later that evening though she did a wee wee all over mummy's lap ... okay not so good ... I realised that in the excitment of achieving a wee wee on the potty I had forgotton to keep asking her if she needed to use the potty and so had got what I deserved!

The next day I introduced the concept of knickers, hoping that this exciting new garment of 'big girl' clothing would encourage her to use the potty. For ages nothing happened even though I had taken on the persona of a parrot squarking 'would you like to do wee wee poo poo on the potty ...tell mummy if you want to sit on the potty' ... every 5 minutes ... then of course when I was in another room she said 'potty' and promptly did a wee wee all over the floor! Oh and there was another one on my lap again that evening ... ( I'm doing a lot of washing these days! )

Okay ...I am now appreciating that this is not going to be so easy. I am going to to try a different method which involves sitting her on the potty every half an hour or so instead of asking her, and we'll see if we get better luck! In the meantime any tips much appreciated!

Indybel sell the Babybjorn Potty above in a variety of colours and potty book

to find our more visit http://www.indybel.com/