Watch out Picasso

Out and About

When Wriggles was a little un, getting out about was pretty simple (as simple as juggling a baby and all their accessories can be). I could pop her in the pram and whizz off. Now she is crawling and much more awake, alert and showing far more personality, getting out and about is more of a compromise. I sympathise; I can;t remember my buggy days but it looks no fun being wheeled around when you just want to be investigating your surroundings on all fours. No longer can I get away with a trip to Salisbury's being stimulating enough to satisfy a morning out.

So what do you do with a baby who just wants to wriggle everywhere??!

The obvious choice is soft play centres, which are beginning to come into their own. They seem best earlier in the day in the middle of the week as Wriggles becomes very overwhelmed and distressed when they are noisy and full of bigger children. One near me has a sensory room also which I was very impressed with. Unfortunately Wriggles was slightly less impressed and finds it all a bit too much.  They are easier to go to if we go as part of a group outing so she recognises other babies and parents around and can attention seek if she so wishes! I suspect as she gets older they will become a much more used haunt. 


Parks are a favourite on a sunny day, or basically a day when it is not hurricane conditions. When there was nicer weather, we would decamp there with a picnic blanket, sun hat (wishful thinking), lunch, a spare feed, a few toys and books and a parasol and while away a few hours investigating twigs, dirt, grass and the icing on the cake: swings. We found swings relatively late as she was not to be trusted in supporting herself for what felt a long time, but now we have found them there is no stopping us! When we approach the little playground at our local park, Wriggles gets so excited and starts waving her hands and dribbling with anticipation. It is far sweeter than it sounds!


Farms and animal centres so far have drawn little interest as she is more interested in looking at the other small children and trying to either hide in my coat or wriggle out of my grip. Cultural places unfortunately are also echoey which means they are ideal places for her to try out her voice. I can live with her hooting but other visitors tend to get a little miffed that their intellectual peace is being disturbed.

Thankfully, I have recently found that two of the museums in the city centre have designated pre-school areas which are our current haunts and life savers. As big public places they have reasonably good access and facilities and both have cafes afterwards for a caffeinated treat-for me not Wriggles that is. The Laing Gallery and the Great North Museum in Newcastle are both operated by Tyne and Wear Museums which run several places across the Tyne and Wear. The Laing houses several floors of art and antique pieces dating back from around the seventeenth century until the modern. It has several local exhibits and is quite traditional. It has a great area dedicated to under 5s and has an adjoining area for older children to craft. Both are next to the cafe so an easy trip afterwards and has a secure gate to stop any minxes escaping. The area has an array of toys and books as well as some interactive art activities. One of the best, and our favourite, is a colour mixing bubble lamp. Yes-HOW good?! There is a colour wheel next to it, and as you press different combinations the lamp 'mixes' the colours. Such a great way for more aware children to learn and for younger children and babies to get sensory stimulus and a 'reward' for practising fine motor skills like pressing buttons.
The Great North Museum is my favourite; it is like a museum of curiosities. Among the dinosaurs, Ancient Egyptians, remnants of Hadrian's Wall and sparkly things, there is a myriad of stuffed animals. A huge exhibition of them, some in glass cases and some suspended in mid air or open to see. The really are a spectacle and a wonderful resource for children to see them up close, even if they are dead. The pre-school area here is called the Mouse House and is a dedicated room which boasts story times on Thursday mornings and every other Saturday. There are some simple exhibits for children and a tree trunk filled with sparkling stars, puppets and dressing up, books and a soft play style giant cheese with holes to jump down. It can get very busy, but at quiet times is fabulous and much time can be spent whiled away. It is very easy to walk straight into the main museum from there as well if it all gets a bit too much. Best of all, both places are free!




What do you or did you do with energetic and opinionated little people not quite walking yet?

A Week

A week can make such a difference.

In a week we have:

• been to a new toddler group and intend to go back (!)
• been for lunch with some mummies. I did have to slightly wrestle Wriggles from cheerfully breaking the china by forcefully banging the plates with a spoon, but aside from that it was very pleasant.
• when bumping into a mum we sort of know, rather than make excuses and scuttle away panicking, we stayed and played and chatted for over an hour.
• Wriggles has gone from wobbly pulling to stand to being able to take a few steps sideways. She can go forwards sort of, but due to her tight muscles, her feet flinch upwards in a more climbing motion.
• Likewise, she has learnt that then letting go and launching herself backwards = a bumped back of head
• Wriggles can make a tower of 6 stacking cups. Hooray for Poundland!
• Wriggles can effectively turn the television on and off. She can also put on sunglasses (upside down) and has learnt that thrusting them up my nose is code for "Mummy!! Put these on so I can take them off again!!!! Now"
• I made a cake and didn't burn it. It even tasted yummy. Tip: translate 1 tsp of cinnamon for several Tbsp of allspice.

Boast over! 

Age Appropriate

Now in the grand scheme of things, this isn't something very big at all, but it is something that sometimes frustrates and throws me and it does cross my mind that this may be a precursor for the future if we were unlucky.

I'm talking at "baby classes" or baby groups which are segregated by age. I do, in fact, think it is sensible to put an age limit on classes and to group children of a similar age and ability together so that toddlers don't squash newborns flat and newborns don't drive toddlers round the bend with wailing etc. However my irritation comes when your child does not meet all the developmental milestones associated with age and such groups become barriers.
 

I like baby classes as it gives you a chance to meet other parents and have an activity, and as a lot of the mother and baby/toddler groups in my area are unfortunately either on days I work or terrifying. I would love to go to more of the library groups but they all clash with me coming home from work, as does many of the nearby Sure Start activities. I have tried to keep going to a Sure Start group organised nearby, but always feel a bit of a sore thumb as it was primarily set up for teenage parents and though they now welcome others and whilst I may be younger than some, I am not teenage at nearly 25. This problem also annoys me when it comes to days out which charge by age. I resented paying full price for soft play for example at age 1 when Wriggles could not yet even sit unsupported, let alone cruise or walk as the centre assumed 1 year olds do.