Feed

Historic, iconic and royal, London brings to mind sites such as the Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace, not to mention cultural spots like Shakespeare’s Globe and the Tate Modern. And it’s full of charming neighborhoods with flower shops, pint-size cafes and trendy bars. Is it possible to soak up some of this atmosphere in with a toddler in tow? Yes — a resounding yes. It may require adjusting expectations, but seeing London with a toddler will rouse a sense of wonder in both parent and child. Toddlers are enthralled with a bird’s-eye view of southern London, including Westminster...

  Playgrounds are boring. I, know it, you know it, the Grand Lodge of Always Exhausted Parents knows it. So what is it all about? Our little ones seem to have ginormous quantities of energy stored in their tiny bodies. Somehow they have access to huge pockets of raw power they can tap into at will. Yes, this is somewhat awe-inspiring, but just as it is troubling. They have to let off steam, that’s certain. When mums and dads arrive at home from their workplaces or just endured a long productivity session and close the home office, many of us...

Today was a tough one. In the grand scheme of all the tough days, it wasn’t near the top, but it was still tough. It was one of those days when the slow grind of parenting gets to me. It featured the usual suspects: broken sleep and a defiant toddler (caused by broken/little sleep). And there were new antagonists: a looming move, a cold, and an open house. Unsurprisingly, I wasn’t in the greatest of moods after I finally got my little girls into bed. Then I made some space for myself. I put on some headphones and walked go around the block listening...

MadeForMums, the UK’s number one parenting site for product reviews, has announced the winners of the MadeForMums Toy Award 2021, as judged by kids, recommended by parents and approved by experts. Ranging from a £3.99 fidget toy to a £300 mega playset, this year’s festive winners include toys from well-known brands such as Barbie, Thomas & Friends, Peppa Pig, CoComelon, Bluey, Playmobil and LOL! Surprise. MadeForMums’ extensive child-testing programme has also shone a spotlight on lots of other brilliant toys, too – from the Xootz BMW ride-on car with its own MP3 player to the pint-sized (and fully working) Casdon...

At around age 2, my toddler went through an obsessive truck phase. It lasted several years, during which he could identify, on cue, any massive vehicle he spotted on the road. A backhoe! A dump truck! A garbage truck! A hauler! It went past a mere interest and became a party trick, something he trotted out with giddy abandon whenever other people were around so he could impress them with his deep knowledge base of all things six- or eight-wheeled. The best toy trucks for kids elicit that same joy, despite the fact that most of them are analog toys...