Pets for children – how to choose?

Having pets at home is a good experience for children which helps them to learn responsibility and to learn a good caring attitude towards animals. Before you make this important decision you should do the research and consider what size a pet you can afford to keep in your house or flat and check how to care for your chosen pet. Also, it’s really important to choose insurance for your pet.

Big or small?

It’s a good idea to start with a something small and easy to keep at home. A good example is a rabbit, guinea pig, a mouse, rat or hamster. These pets are generally cheap to keep and also entertaining. You have to only keep them clean, fed and water them and then have great fun with them.
It’s good to do the research about food and special requirements for winter as some pets like a warm and sheltered place when is cold and frosty.

Some of the most common pets are cats and dogs. Cats are safe and easy for a toddler to handle but parents should introduce a child to how to care about a cat, how to feed and how to play safely. Dogs need more daily care as they should be taken for a walk a minimum of once a day and they need some training as well. We need to think about who will take care of that, especially at winter time. Quite often, dogs are the best and reliable ‘humans’ friends and usually there is a strong relationship between dog and family.

Children often like specific animals which they can see in a zoo but they want something cute and cuddly as well. Parents should do the research and make the best decision. It is possible that the exciting time with pets will pass and parents need to accept that they will need to take over. Whatever your decision will be, consider what expectations of a pet your child has or who will look after the pet when you are on holiday.  



This article was written by Personalised Baby Gifts UK.

Looking for a perfect Christmas gift? We have a great range of gifts that can be personalised for no extra cost. Visit Personalised Baby Gifts UK to browse our online store.

We also have some lovely items for mums and dads, to help cheer up the exhausted new parents! 

Personalised Baby Gift Ideas

If you want to give a gift that is truly unique, then a great way to ensure this is to create something personalised. Here is a list of our most popular personalised gifts for babies.

Personalised Traditional Piggy Banks

 

We all remember our first piggy bank and the bubbly excitement when we fed a coin through that little slot and then shook it to hear the coins jangling around inside. These days moneyboxes come in all shapes and sizes, everything from square boxes to ceramic spheres, even to carousels complete with photos. But the traditional pink pig shaped piggy bank remains an all time favourite.

Personalised albums and frames

The reason personalised albums and frames make such great gifts is that the gift itself is only the beginning of the personalisation. The photos inside are what makes this kind of gift truly special and treasured. It’s perfect for newborns as an album can be used as a place to document the baby’s first few days, weeks and months of life in this world.

Engraved Trinket Boxes

 

One look at these and it’s immediately clear why they’re so popular. The classy, simple design and elegant design make this an elegant and attractive gift. And on top of that they’re practical, as babies first tooth or lock of hair can be stored safely – better than in a little plastic jiffy bag!

For loads more ideas about newborn baby gifts, visit our main site.

Surviving a Newborn – 3 tips for mums and dads

Having a baby is probably one of the most life changing experiences you can go through – everything changes, including your lifestyle, attitude and priorities. These changes can be overwhelming, and advice can be coming thick and fast from all directions – but don’t panic! Everything’s going to be okay. Just follow our tips for surviving a newborn…

Don’t try to be a supermum / superdad

Trying to be perfect every second of every day is a futile goal and is only going to result in stress and possible breakdown. Being perfect simply isn’t possible, and setting realistic goals (like making it to the end of the day) will be much more fruitful than being unrealistic and then feeling like a failure.

Your baby is much less fussy than you are, and will love you as long as you give it affection, food and safety. It doesn’t give two hoots whether it’s wearing a spotless designer onezee or a stained pillowcase.

Don’t expect to be overwhelmed with love at first sight

This is a great cause of anxiety from new parents. Hollywood has painted an unnatural picture of parenthood as being all flowers and perfume, with mums and dads taking one look at the little screeching bundle that pops out and falling instantly in love. But real life is not like that and quite often the bond doesn’t immediately spring into existence. It takes time for parents and child to build a loving relationship, so don’t panic or think you’re doing something wrong is all you feel is exhausted and grumpy. It will come.

Don’t forget about yourself

Newborns are demanding little nuggets and if you’re not careful you can find one will swallow up every minute of every day. But remember that you had a life before it turned up, hopefully with friends, hobbies, that kind of thing. Some people think that giving up your life to tend to your child is the greatest sign of dedication and commitment, but actually it’s not healthy. Instead, having time to yourself and different (non-baby) activities to stimulate your brain will make you more refreshed and appreciative of your time with the little one.

Personalised Baby Gifts UK has a great range of personalised gifts for parents and other family members, such as personalised leather wallets, engraved jewellery and much more.

Organising the perfect baby shower – when, where, how, what and most importantly – why

Whether you’re organising a baby shower for yourself or someone else, this guide will help you get everything organised and give you some inspiration.

When – you need to decide whether to have the baby shower before or after the baby is born.

We think before is better as it means there is more focus on the mother – who will actually appreciate it – and she’ll be able to concentrate on enjoying herself, rather than having one eye on the baby or one ear out for when it starts to gripe.

Where – having a baby shower in someone’s home can be more cosy and relaxing, but don’t forget that then someone has to prepare and clean up afterwards.

Using a restaurant or café might be more expensive, but then the catering and tidying is taken care of. In either case, if the guests can chip in, it will make things much more manageable.

How – themes are very popular in baby shower.

You can get all kinds of decorations such as personalised helium balloons, banners and even outfits – imagine dressing up in a full Victorian dress! It’s customary to bring gifts to a baby shower as well, which may range from anything from engraved trinket boxes to classic personalised piggy banks to practical items such as personalised pillowcases and towels or embroidered clothing.

What – Eat, drink and make merry!

As well as giving gifts, baby showers usually involve baby themed food (such as tiny sandwiches, cupcakes or miniature pizzas), interesting non-alcoholic drinks (such as fruit juice cocktails with umbrellas and foil sprays) and baby themed games (such as Baby Shower Charades, pin the safety pin on the nappy and baby questions and answers).

Why – don’t forget the most important thing about baby showers – the people.

This celebration is all about getting together to appreciate our loved ones and show them how important they are to us. Be patient about things you don’t agree on, stay relaxed and above all – have fun!

 

If you’re having or going to a baby shower, check out our fantastic range of baby gifts – there’s everything from bibs to door plaques to silver and crystal keepsakes.

Preparing a nursery - essentials

If you're expecting, you're probably starting to plan your nursery. But it can be baffling to try to figure out what you need and what's superfluous.

The most important thing to think about is obviously safety. If you have an old house and the room hasn;t been redcoretaed in a while, then you may need to strip the walls and repaint with a non-toxic paint. You can also take the opportunity to check our any low sockets or damage to the walls that needs to be filled in.

The next thing to think about is theme. Do you want something very simple and plain, or a very traditional classic style, or something modern. Or perhaps you want to go all our with an undersea or forest theme? Having a sense of what you'll enjoy will help you choose items that will go together.

Essential furniture includes a crib, a comfortable chair for nursing and rocking the little one to sleep, somewhere to keep toys and somewhere to keep all those cute little clothes. You may also want to include a changing station, with everything you need easily to hand.

Something you might not have thought of are blackour curtains. Babies don't fallow normal day / night sleep patterns, and being able to block out the sun at will can help both babies and sleepy parents get an important nap, whenever it can be snatched!

We have gorgeous name plaques for the front of nurseries and also personalised clocks to match a tange of themes.

Check out Personalised Baby Gifts UK for loads of beautiful and unique nursery decoration ideas.

Swaddling – what is it and why does it work

You may have heard of swaddling and there are lots of products out their especially for swaddling, but what is it, what’s the theory behind it and does it work?

What is swaddling?

Swaddling is when you wrap up a baby firmly from the neck down in a thin, light blanket with her or his arms tucked against her or his chest. Obviously  you don’t want to restrict their breathing or crush them, but a key factor is that the blanket must be quite firm and doesn’t easily unwrap.

The idea is to calm the baby and make them feel safe and secure.

What’s the theory behind it

It is believed that being tightly bound reminds the baby of the restricted space in the womb – the place that was safe and warm and lovely, before the baby entered the big wide (scary) world. It’s also said to help stop them thrashing around agitating themselves, and it can stop them being disturbed by the little twitches they make when they’re asleep.

Does swaddling work?

Swaddling is not a modern, fly-by-night trend, it’s an age old technique that’s been used since before people started writing books on babycare. Many people swear by it. However, some experts have raised concerns about some of the negative effects of swaddling, and others say it simply doesn’t work for them. At the end of the day, each baby is different, so you won’t know whether swaddling is going to help calm them until you try it.

If you have a newborn baby, why not drop by Personalised Baby Gifts? We have more articles with tips on parenting, from travelling with a baby to choosing a baby’s name. And once you’ve chosen your baby’s name, why not have it embroidered onto their bib, or printed on a personalised clock for the nursery.

Top Three Newborn Gifts

Trinket boxes for firsts

There are a variety of trinket boxes and certificate holders you can get for keeping baby’s first tooth or first lock of hair safe forever (much nicer than a jiffy bag in the kitchen drawer!). Trinket boxes can be engraved with the name and date of the new arrival and certificate holders can come with commemorative plaques.

Bibs and Linen

A practical gift, bibs and linen can be personalised with embroidery to show the newborn’s name and even date of birth or a message. Parents will be grateful for the extra bibs, muslins and linen, which are useful as well as beautiful gifts.

Newborn photo session

Time flies so fast and these precious moments are gone forever. There is a very short window for newborn photography, but the adorable photographs will be cherished forever. Or, if the parents are too exhausted, most photography vouchers can be used later, when the baby is more bubbly and responsive.

At personalised baby gifts we have hundreds of products specially selected for newborns and babies. Most of our items can be personalised free of charge.

Tops Tips for Travelling with Your Baby

It can be daunting to think of travelling with your baby, with all kinds of paranoias rising up, about forgetting Sophie the Giraffe, or what it they start wailing and you can’t quiet them and everyone’s staring…

But it’s important for both babies and parents to get out of the house, not just to avoid going stir crazy, but for physical and mental development of the little one. By seeing different things, smelling different smells and experiencing the wide world while feeling protected and safe in the important early development stages you can ensure they are confident and well-adjusted in the world as they grow up.

Travelling with a baby on public transport

It can be quite daunting to get on a bus, train of the tube with a baby, but it can be done, with a little thought about the factors and how best to handle them.

The key here is travelling light. It’s all the accessories that will encumber you and be a cause of obstructions and stress. If at all possible, try to avoid using a buggy, as these tend to be bulky and hard to fit in the narrow spaces of public transport. Also, someone has to hold the baby while you collapse and open it up again. Better to use a body sling, which will keep your hands free, baby close and safe near your body (and feeling extra secure there) and adds the minimum of weight and bulk.

Similarly, only bring the essentials. It can seem like a lot of things are essential, but most things can be bought on demand if you’re in relative civilization, and in many cases you can make do. For example, will a blanket double as a changing matt, and can you simply use a cloth and water instead of wet wipes?

Travelling with a baby by car

The advice is opposite if travelling by car. You have the space and luxury to be able to overpack and bring anything you think might come in useful. The main concern here is keeping the baby from crying the whole journey and turning you into a ball of stress – not good for driving. Try to plan the journey for when they are going to be asleep or at least drowsy. The movement often encourages sleep (in some adults too!) and a sleeping baby is a quiet baby.

Also, make sure you get to know your car seat well. The majority of car seats are not fitted properly, reducing their safety levels. Read the manual and seek advice if you’re really struggling, but make sure it’s in correctly.

Personalised Baby Gifts have a range of products for all babies and children of every age, including clothing, pllowscases & towels and beautiful trinket boxes.

Top Ten Most Popular Baby Names 2013

These are the most recent set of most popular baby names in England and Wales, according to the Office of National Statistics.

So do you run with the crowd or forge your own route?

Most Popular Girls' Names

1	Amelia
2	Olivia
3	Lily
4	Jessica
5	Emily
6	Sophie
7	Ruby
8	Grace
9	Ava
10	Isabella

Most Popular Boys' Names

1	Harry
2	Oliver
3	Jack
4	Alfie
5	Charlie
6	Thomas
7	Jacob
8	James
9	Joshua
10	William

These names show a  definite preference for classic sounding names, the kind of thing you might expect your grandmother to be called (though we haven't gone quite as far as Margery or Dorothy yet), or to find in an old romance novel.

Both the prince's names appear, though Kate or Katherine is absent from the girl's top ten, even though it's been a solid favourite throughout the centuries.

Soundwise, names ending in 'a' are prevalent amoung the girls' name and almost half of the boys' names begin with a 'J'.

Practical tips for picking baby names

It could be one of the most important decisions of your life - after having the baby of course... So what do name your little bundle of joy?

You may have a shortlist already, but here are a few tips to help you avoid making any naming blunders that will haunt you for a very long time...

Say it out loud

It's amazing how different things sound out loud as opposed to written on paper. Say them all out loud and see which ones get crossed off in a hurry! It may be worth getting friends and family to try saying the names out loud as well, to see where people might pronounce it wrong - and find out if it's going to get on your nerves - or even cause embarrasment!

Think about what it might be shortened to

One mother I know gave all three of her boys names with three syllables that could each be shortened to two, or even one. She figured she'd give them the option of choosing how formal or informal they wanted to be. Think about what your potential names could be shortened to, and whether you like them in that format.

Try it with your surname

Trying out various names with your surname highlight issues in rhythm or tongue twisters or even unintended words hiding between them. If you're going to give the child a middle name as well, then try saying it out loud with all three parts. This is particularly important if your surname is King, which is open to all kinds of potential disasters...

Once you've chosen the perfect name, why not get it printed or embroidered onto one of our fantastic personalised baby products!

Can a child be brought up genderless?

A couple from Toronto caused a storm last year, when it was reported in newspapers that they were refusing to reveal the gender of their four month old baby - Storm (see what I did there?).

Only they and the child's two older brothers know whether Storm is a boy or a girl, even the grandparents were being kept in dark.

Many people reacted badly to the story, lashing out and claiming it was harmful to the child, and would affect its mental development, some even saying it's tantamount to child abuse.

But the parents argue that the complete opposite is true - that by attempting to combat gender stereotypes, their child will grow up more free to make her or his decisions about who they are - rather than being slotted into whatever standards traditional society would have them follow.

“If you really want to get to know someone, you don’t ask what’s between their legs,” says the father.

Their two older children have been brought up without typical pink and blue pressures, and as a result choose to have long hair, worn in braids and to often wear skirts and bright colours that are usually frowned on for boys, such as pink and purple.

Raising a child without putting a pink or blue stamp on its head from even before it's born is becoming more common than you might think, with couples in Sweden and England doing the same.

For gender neutral products for babies - visit our personalised baby gifts store!

Personalised Treasure Hunt Gift for a Child's Birthday

Looking for an interesting idea to make your child's birthday even more special and fun? A personalised treasure hunt is a great way of building anticipation and making receiving of gifts into a game.

 

Setting up a personalised treasure hunt takes a bit of preparation, but is quite straightforward and well worth it for the expression of delight on your child's face.

First you have to prepare the clues. Get some little pieces of paper - you can use fancy coloured card or parchment or simply scraps from a jotter notepad, it's really up to you. Then decide which places you're going to hide the clues. It's best if you find places around the house where they won't be seen by accident - if your child accidentally finds one out of turn, it could break the surprise.

For each place, try to think of a clue that will lead to it. For example, if you're going to hide one in a grandfather clock, the clue might say, 'This is a tall tick tock tick tock'. If you're going to hide one in the washing machine (careful nobody does a washload in the meantime!) it might say, 'Socks and suds go round and round'. You can make them easy or difficult, depending on how long you want the game to last.

Once you've got around ten clues, plant them in order so that they create a continuous trail. Then, at the end of the trail - put the present!

Once everything's ready, present your child with the clue and explain that they have to work out what it means - they'll soon get the hand of it and be adventuring away!

If you're looking for a great personalised gift for a child's birthday, check out our cute clothing, soft toys and personalised jigsaws.

How do babies develop? Months Sixteen to Eighteen

At sixteen months babies are usually getting quite active and want to play more interactive games that use their brains, such as pointing at body parts or pictures when asked by their parents to identify a particular thing. They will also be stepping up to more physical challenges, such as opening and closing doors and going up and down the stairs (backwards).

They will probably start to imitate common gesture their parents make - such as putting their finger to their lips and saying, shhhh!

Although they won't be able to follow the plot, toddlers enjoy looking at picture books and being read to, and they like to choose the story book - and they don't get tired of reading the same story over and over again, until it falls out of favour for a different one.

At 17 months most babies talk more clearly and use a handful of words regularly. They might be able to take off their dress or top and they can learn quite easily how to brush their teeth. Babies at this time understand more and they want to try new things, like feeding a doll or kicking a ball forward. They can recognise and sort toys by colour, shape or size. It is a good time to work on manners using words like “please” or “thank you”.

The 18 month old baby is very active. They like to dance to music, push and turn buttons and knobs or climb all over furniture. You may be able to teach your baby how to use a potty, but don't worry if it takes a little longer.
Most babies already have their favourite toys but quite often they also develop some habits which help them to calm and relax, for example sucking their thumb. However, usually all babies outgrow these things so parents shouldn’t worry too much.

Personalised Baby Gifts have a range of products to help with toddlers development, including jigsaw puzzles and plastic cups.

Baby Shower Charades! Free Ideas for Movie, Book & Song Titles

Baby Shower Charades is a great game that you can play at your baby shower to liven things up and have everyone falling over with giggles.

Preparation

Easy! All you need to do is prepare some cards with the names of books, movies and song titles all with the word ‘baby’ somewhere in them written on one side. If you’re super enthusiastic or have a lot of time on your hands, you could also make a CD of the songs to play afterwards (but not before or during or you’ll give the game away!).

Titles with baby names in

·         (You’re) Having my baby

·         Anybody seen my baby

·         Baby  be mine

·         Baby love

·         Baby, I love your way

·         Be my baby

·         Bye bye baby

·         Gone Baby Gone

·         Hit me baby one more time

·         I got you babe

·         Maybe Baby

·         Million Dollar Baby

·         Rosemary’s Baby

·         Santa baby

·         The Babysitter

·         The water babies

·         They Baby-sitter’s Club

·         Three men and a baby

Playing charades

 

On the day, split into two teams (you may need an independent moderator as well, depending on how competitive your lot are. One member of Team A takes a card, reads it and keeps it secret. They then have to try to mime the words to their team, who shout out their guesses. The person miming is not allowed to speak (or make any noise) or mouth anything with their lips. If the team correctly guess the title from the card before the time is up, then they win the point. If they fail to win it, then usually the other team has a few seconds to take a guess. If they get it right, then they get the point instead.

Are you interested in reading more about baby showers? Read the fascinating history of baby showers from ancient times to the modern day.

If you’re having or going to a baby shower, check out our fantastic range of baby gifts – there’s everything from bibs to door plaques to silver and crystal keepsakes.

Personalised Baby Gifts! Making your baby shower perfect.

Tips for taking photos of your newborn

Whether it’s your first child or your fifth, having a new baby is an incredibly special moment in all parents’ lives. You probably want to capture the first moments forever as your new addition slumbers peacefully.

At Personalised Baby Gifts we offer engraved photo frames and embroidered albums to keep all your baby photos safe in.

Here are some tips for taking some great newborn photos.

Try to capture the ‘firsts’

Rather than having lots of pictures of the baby in the same position, it can be very fun and rewarding to capture some of the many firsts that will be going on. Such as baby’s first bath, first weighing, first outfit, first time meeting grandparents, best friend, aunt etc.

You don’t need to go overboard and try to capture every single thing, but by creating a ‘photo documentary’ of this kind, you will have a story to relive over the years.

Experiment with distances and angles

Close-ups work very well with babies – if you have a macro function on your camera, then get up close and use it! But you should experiment from further away, and also try different angles. Down low works well for babies, because it gives the impression of being in their world.

Try black and white

Converting pictures of newborns and babies into black and white makes for a timeless beauty. If you have some photo editing software, you could also experiment with desaturating but not entirely turning to black and white, using a sepia filter or if you’re a little more advanced removing all colour except in a few select places, such as a bow, or in the eyes.

For more ideas and tips for new parents visit our baby gifts store.

Idea for a wonderful unique personalised gift - photo gifts!

Photo gifts are one of my favourite personalised gifts. These days there are variety of options for using personal photographs to make great personal gifts. There are lots of places that will print photo products at relatively inexpensive rates, and if you watch out for special deals on some of the coupon websites, you can get something very reasonable.

Photos in frames

You could simply go for the classic option and buy a pretty frame and fill it with one or more pictures of yourself or the recipient of the gift and other friends and family. Or you could buy a very cheap plain photo frame and decorate it yourself using glass beads, glittery rubber paint, shells and whatever else you can find!

Photo calendar

Photo calendars are a great useful gift that can keep your loved ones smiling all year round. If possible, you can try to match the photos for each month with ones taken at the right time or year, but it doesn’t really matter. You can just put a selection of your favourite photos in, or you can pick a theme, such as a holiday, day trip, pets, or a year in the life of!

Photobooks

Photobooks offer a load of options, from a mini flip book type book all the way to a hard bound glossy printed tome. As with calendars, it can be nice to pick a theme – perhaps you could collect pictures from someone’s life all the way from being a baby and show them developing through their lives up to the present day!

For more great ideas for personalised gifts and to browse our excellent range of everything from balloons to china piggy banks – visit the Personalised Baby Gift shop!

Some tips for new mothers

When a first baby is born a mother is created as well. Before the baby was born she was a woman, but now she is a mother, and always will be - even after the child is grown up and has children of his or her own.

But the first few weeks and months of motherhood can be a stressful and scary time, so here are a few suggestions to help make sure this magical time stays magical!

Take some time to yourself

It's difficult tofind any time for yourself with a demanding baby, but this is really vital for your mental health as well as for the good of the baby. Everybody needs some time to reboot and rejuvinate. Even if it's just a half hour walk at first, or if you can find time to go to a class you enjoy or have a coffee with a friend without the baby, taking some time to yourself will be everyone good.

Don't try to be supermum

Many new mums fall into the trap of feeling they have to be perfect, every second of every day. But this can only lead to stress, anxiety and guilt. You can't get everything right first time, you're learning every day - and you can be sure your baby isn't going to notice, or give two hoots. As long as you're loving it, it's loving you and that's more important than anything else.

Don't worry if you don't feel like a 'natural'

There's a common myth that as soon as the baby pops out, women immediately know exactly what to do in every given situation. This is nonsense. Many new mums don't even bond with their babies at first - sleep seems more appealing! So don't worry if everything seems hard and unnatural at first, and don't panic if you're not clothed in a blanket of adoration at every moment. The bonds take tim eot build - but they will, just be patient.

If you know a new mum who's finding her feet, why not treat her to a unique personalised gift? Personalised Baby Gifts UK has a range of gorgeous gifts for newborns, ranging from practical bibs, clothing and bedding to elegant keepsakes.

How do babies develop? Months Thirteen to Fifteen

As your baby enters his or her second year (how fast has that time flown?!), communication becomes much more prevalent. The child has twelve months of experience under their belt and are beginning to understand the world around them - and have opinions about how it should be...

At thirteen months babies usually walk and stand on their own but it is quite common for some babies to still use furniture or other objects to support themselves. And some children don’t walk until seventeen or eighteen months or even later, so don't panic if yours is more content to stay put!

Hand skills will be improving and most babies are able to grab a block and drop it into a container or grip a spoon. Communication and understanding is developing fast and babies usually use the most common words: “dada” and “mama” or “hello” and “bye”.

At around thirteen to fifteen months babies understand the meaning of “bye – bye” and they wave when somebody is leaving and saying goodbye. Most babies can easily drink from a cup and try to eat by using a spoon and fork. Quite often babies are ready to help to do the cleaning - which they enjoy more than their parents..

Usually fifteen month old babies have their own special favourite things, like a soft toy or favourite blanket. These items are called “transitional items” and they can be a source of comfort, especially when parents are not around.

At this time most babies are quite good at walking or even shaky running, and some babies are even able to walk backwards. It’s good fun to push and pull toys while walking or matching lids and stacking blocks. At fifteen months babies can often recognise themselves in a mirror. Hello me!

Personalised Baby GIfts UK is a great source of ideas for unique gifts to make a baby's room more perfect or to put a smile on a new parent or grandparent's face.

We have all kinds of cute themes, from pirates to zoo animals to timeless classic.