Gimme Five - Toddler Must Haves

Having a toddler is so different to having a baby. For one, if you're like me, you don't plan for it. You plan for a baby and WHAM suddenly they're a little person in their own right and have an opinion on EVERYTHING. So here's 5 must haves I couldn't live without in my 15 month old's world.

1. REIGNS - We use these whenever we go anywhere now. C-bear loves toddling around and prefers to be out of the buggy then in, plus it's a great way to tire him out before nap time! To save my back and give some peace of mind to make sure he's not always falling over, reigns are something I can no longer live without. Ours were Winnie-the-Pooh hand-me-downs from my half-aunt, but if we were buying new, I'd get these Goldbug Monkey Reigns.

2. SMALL PERSON CUTLERY - we had Mama sized weaning spoons at 6 months when C first started to eat, but once he started wanting to feed himself we switched to baby size ones - perfect for him to hone his feeding technique. We got ours from Mothercare and John Lewis.

3. DRINKING CUP - we used to use rubber teated sippy cups, but because these are bad for causing tooth decay (baby spends a long time sucking on the spout) and C is now big enough to suck through a straw, we got him a Tommee Tippee Explora Active Straw Cup. C loves the flip out straw, and it holds more drink then a sippy cup! But he's only learnt how to flip the straw back in and isn't quite big enough to press the button to bring it back out - until he's big enough it's Mama's job to constantly open the straw for him!



4. PAJAMAS - until he was 14 months C always slept in a sleep suit. So snugly in winter and cute short sleeves in summer. We followed the advise in a Baby Sleeping book that said sleep suits are better than PJs when starting a bedtime routine as they don't ride up. However he's now well into his sleep routine and PJs are more practical for playing around in the evening, they don't have all-in-one feet to get in the way and they make him look so grown up :)

5. SCHOOL BAG - we used to use a carrier bag to take C's things to nursery, but it was a little embarrassing when all the other kids had proper bags, so when I spotted this little bag in Paperchase I just had to have it. C-bear LOVES his bag, when we get ready for nursery he'll grab his bag and wait by the door, on the way there, he'll clutch it on his lap and point out the animals or make the noises when I ask him for them. When we're on long car journeys, we fill the bag with little toys to entertain him on the way.