Toddler Safety | My Mills Baby

index9 Lindam & Munchkin: Nightlights & Room Blocking

Now Littlest Mills is on the move, we’ve been on a baby-proofing mission. Heidi is now super fast at crawling and will pull herself up in a sort of tripod action to sit upright - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It must be incredibly tiring for her as she’s in one of those limbo states where she’s keen to try things, but not yet able to master them.

Dexter is also embarking on mission of epic proportions and the potty has made an appearance. With this comes a whole host of problems; nighttime dashes and an uncomfortable fascination with the toilet.

So who have we turned to? Who else but the masters of baby & toddler safety; Lindam.

Yep, our house is now a Lindam & Munchkin show home. There’s very little on their website that we don’t own! Of course, as a Munchkin & Lindam ambassador, it’s my job to put their smart and fun collection through its paces, and we’ve certainly done that! Here are just a few of my favourite things:

Nightlights

This Automatic Nursery Safety Sensor Light is fabulous for Mini Madam. It plugs into the mains so you’re not faffing around with batteries and has a long lifespan (provides over 10,000 hours of light). Better yet, you don’t need to turn it off, as it has a dusk’til dawn sensor; it detects light levels and will automatically switch on at dusk and off at dawn. Safety-wise, an LED bulb ensures the light remains cool to touch at all times.

It provides a soft blue light which is reassuring for Heidi and handy for us; If we pop our heads around the door we can spot her easily among her teddies and Galt blocks. When she’s more accustomed to her big girl room, this light will live on the landing providing a guiding light for a toilet-savvy Dexter for those nighttime wees.

(£7.98 from the Munchkin / Lindam website)

Dexter Lindam & Munchkin: Nightlights & Room Blocking

Speaking of nighttime wees… Dexter’s Light my Way Portable Nightlight is one of those must-have toddler essentials. It’s easy for chunky fingers to operate, switches itself off after 20 minutes and has a nifty little handle for finding the bathroom (or mum & dad) in the dark.

This is Dexter’s go-to product at bedtimes - he uses it to read or play in bed, and will often fall asleep with it inches from his head. There are no sharp bits to jab him awake and the LED light remains cool to touch at all times. Although it’s 100% battery-operated, it comes with 3AAA batteries and we haven’t had to change them (in nearly 4 months!).

(£9.98 from the Munchkin / Lindam website)

Room-blocking

gate Lindam & Munchkin: Nightlights & Room Blocking

The Sure Shut Orto has been my saviour now Mini Madam is chasing after her brother everywhere. In fact, it’s been with us now for 2 years and has been invaluable throughout. Whether it’s sealing off the stairs, the kitchen or their rooms, it’s strong, robust and has never let us down. It’s a fully adjustable pressure gate that will fit openings between 75cm to 82cm (and can be extended up to 138cm with the use of separate extensions). As we rent our home this means no drilling into door frames and skirting boards. It can also be fitted in seconds (all tools come provided).

The best bit by far is the automatic closure. It features a gravity-fed hinge so the gate can close from any position as soon as the handle is released. You can also open it inwards and outwards depending on which way you’re approaching the gate (so is far less fussy than others we’ve come across). We can open it with one hand whilst our little people stare on in amazement - trust me Dexter’s had a very good go at opening it himself with zero success.

(£27.99 from the Munchkins / Lindam website)

Flexi Lindam & Munchkin: Nightlights & Room Blocking

For Dexter’s room, the Flexiguard works a treat. I hate seeing him upset behind bars so this provides him with a soft surface to rally against at bedtimes. It’s four point pressure corner adjusters ensure a snug fit in openings from 71cm to 92cm and it can be fitted in seconds. I like that I can take it off easily and quickly to whisk him to the loo, then pop it back on at night when I need him to stay put.

The best bit? It’s lightweight and comes with a travel bag for easy transportation. Simply roll it up and sling it over your shoulder to take to grandmas or a friend’s house for coffee - with no tell tale marks that it’s even been there when you leave - Genius, just genius.

(£27.99 from the Munchkin / Lindam website)

Next on my hitlist are these seriously cool bath time toys - I’m sure I’ll be reporting on these soon.

Bathtime Lindam & Munchkin: Nightlights & Room Blocking

Bath Fun Bubble Blower £10.98 / Star Fountain £7.99 / Bath Fun Monster Truck £6.99 / Massaging Teether £6.99 / 36 Bath Letters and Numbers £6.48 / Gone Fishin’ Bath Toy £7.98

If you want to find out more about any of the products mentioned above, head to the website. Both Munchkin & Lindam are also a sociable bunch and have Facebook & Twitter if you have any questions:

FACEBOOK: Lindam

FACKBOOK: Munchkin

TWITTER: Lindam

TWITTER: Munchkin

You’re child is never too young to learn about road safety. Nothing terrifies me more than the thought of Dexter flying into the road and being hit by a car. Here are some top tips for teaching your pre-schooler the green cross code basics.

Now Dexter is a fully fledged waddler, he’s constantly on his feet. Of course it’s completely impractical to let him walk to the shops with me - a five-minute trip for me would be a two hour marathon for him! But it won’t be long until he’s walking beside me and exposed to a whole new set of dangers.

Here’s my plan of attack to get Dexter road safe:

Preparing for the walk

It might seem overzealous, but there are a few things every mother should have on her at all times. Luckily these are things that frequently live at the bottom of your handbag anyway. The first is pen and paper. If your child was to have an accident, best to have a notebook available to write down license plates and other details which might be useful for the emergency services. In the event you decide to seek road accident advice from a solicitor, there may also be number of things you might want to recall later.

The second is your mobile phone. It goes without saying if you are involved in any traffic incidents you’ll want stay beside your child when you call 999. As most smartphones also have cameras, if you get the opportunity you might also want to photograph the scene.

Practice makes perfect - Get out of the car!

Not only is walking a great form of exercise for your child, it’ll also help them become responsible pedestrians. It’s maddening that some school age children haven’t mastered the basics because they’ve been ferried around in the car for so long. For short trips, allow a bit of extra of time, set off earlier, and get your child walking.

Maintain contact

Whether you’re using reins, or chose to simply hold hands, make sure you have hold of your little ones when you approach a road. If you are using reins, make sure you limit your childs range so they can’t make a run for it. Don’t trust your child to keep ahold of a pram or pushchair either, it’s always best to have physical contact with them so you can control the pace.

Stop, Look & Listen

This might sounds obvious, but getting your child to remember it could save their life. Tips for getting it to sink in include:

Make it a game: Get your child to identify different vehicles and the sounds they make. Maybe print out a mini checklist so they can cross off all the different passing traffic they see (cars, lorries, buses and bikes). Familiarising them with the different dangers on the road is half the battle.

Make up a song: I’ve been all YouTube all morning trying to find a catchy song that addresses all the key points. Unfortunately they’re all a little too long to sing with your child at the roadside. If you’re child learns well through song, make up one of your own. This will help your child remember the order of the green cross code.

Watch other people: Watch a few people crossing the road and let your child critique their technique. Prepare a checklist and get your child to tick off each of the stages needed for a successful crossing.

Let them press the button

Much like ringing the bell on a bus, children love the idea of controlling the world around them. Most pedestrian crossings will have low buttons now for disabled and younger people. Let them press the button then follow the progress of the lights together.

So what’s your plan of attack? Do you have any tips of your own?

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