Tag: toddler

Mums that rock by Oreke xx

Posted on by Oreke Mosheshe

Cressida Hilken mama of Jasper and bump. We love Cressida because she is one of the most honest and witty individuals we know.

Your view on motherhood? This is one seriously broad subject but in short my view is it is the most beautiful, challenging and extraordinary experience one can have. It changes ones perspective on life in a matter of minutes and renders you deeply in love with a tiny being forever and ever…even I expect when they are a not such tiny beings! Being a mother is a huge responsibility and something that changes you innately.

Best advice you have received on parenting? Every child is different.
What’s jasper’s favourite food? Pasta! And large tomatoes eaten like apples..this started in Italy and is rather messy but such fun!
What’s your favourite meal to cook for your family? I love doing my slag bol. Everyone is satisfied and there are always requests for ‘more please’!

What’s jasper’s favourite toy? Jasper loves the colander and also our keys. Neither of which are ‘toys’ of course and one when it gets lost is rather debilitating! Xx

Best kids friendly Restaurant by Dunja

Posted on by Oreke Mosheshe

Ari and I may live in Essex but whenever we have a day off we like to venture into London. We have become experts at choosing the best kid friendly places to eat out in the very center of London.  If I find it quite boring waiting for my food to arrive, I can only begin to image how bored my hyper 2 year old must be!

So here’s a list of restaurants with delicious food and a play area for the kids:

My personal favorite, and hence being at the top of the list, is Tibits in Heddon Street, just off Regent Street. It’s a fancy vegetarian buffet place with a spacious outside area where the kids can run around safely, and downstairs seating with a playroom! Only people with kids venture downstairs so you don’t have to worry about your little one annoying anyone

Carluccio’s in Garrick Street, Covent Garden has a lovely atmosphere, and also provides a play area. The food is very simple, classic Italian, so most kids are more than happy to eat anything off their menu

Bodeans in Soho is perfect if you’re starving and on a budget. Kids eat for free, it’s extremely child friendly and they play movies downstairs to keep them entertained while you eat

If you’re looking for a restaurant that purely tailors to your kids’ needs, look no further than Rainforest café on Shaftesbury Avenue. An amazon themed restaurant with a collection of moving animatronics, waterfalls and tropical fish tanks! But do beware; kids might be too busy playing to have a good feed

Yes, there are plenty of restaurants around London with crèches and activity areas, but if you are in the very center, the ones above are your best options

Happy New Year from Australia by Dunja

Posted on by Oreke Mosheshe

This year for the holidays I decided to head off to warmer climates and hang out with my family in Australia for a couple of weeks. It was a holiday I was looking forward to with slight trepidation. The holiday itself sounded charmed. After all, two weeks in the sunshine, hanging out by the pool with my family and friends doesn’t sound too painful. But you can imagine that the thought of a 24 hour flight alone with my two year old rascal who gets stir crazy in our three bedroom house, was enough to send my anxiety levels through the roof. So I packed military style. Stickers, magnet books, familiar toys, new toys, a gazillion nappies and wipes, milk and her favorite food and snacks. Not to mention hours of Peppa Pig downloaded on the ipad. Being prepared calmed my nerves ever so slightly. By the time we actually got on the plane, Ari and I were both running out of steam. Luckily the plane was half empty so Ari had her own seat and Qantas entertainment contains Peppa pig, so bingo, didn’t even need to take out the ipad! Whilst my baby girl watched hours of Peppa pig and sat there quietly playing and eating, I managed to relax and watch three films pretty much uninterrupted. Every now and again, between films, we’d walk around for a bit and hang out with some other kids on the flight, but otherwise we just took it easy. This of course was only the first, short leg of the flight. But by the time we reboarded for the 13-hour leg, Ari and I were so exhausted we both cuddled up and got about 8hrs sleep each after our meal and woke up in time to watch some more Peppa and another film for me! I have flown back and forth to Australia at least 8 times in the past 15 years, and never had I had such a restful flight. So if there’s any parents out there who are dreading getting on a 13 to 24 hour flight with their toddler, rest assured, it’ll probably be the most fun you’ll have on a plane.

I am a good mother.By Dunja Knezevic

Posted on by Oreke Mosheshe

I am a good mother. I typed those same words into Google the other day (don’t ask why, was quite bored at the time) and the results made me slightly pissed. Here are some of the results: I am not a good mother, nor do I aspire to be; The good mother quiz: Terrible mother or good mother; Am I a good mom?;I wasn’t a good mom, etc etc. You get the gist. I can’t help but feel, and this feeling is shared by a lot of moms I showed the searchresults to, that it is wrong to say you are a good mum.  But why, and why do I feel a slight pang of guilt admitting what a great mum I am? Quite simply, it’s other moms, and the ‘They Say” specialists.  If you say you’re a good mother, there will be a hundred women and another hundred “specialists” saying you’re still doing something wrong.  You should have done baby led weaning; your baby doesn’t sleep in perfect temperatures at all times; you shouldn’t have child care; you should stimulate your baby more; you should have breast fed longer etc.  But somehow, when I look at my baby girl, I don’t see any of those apparent mistakes. I see a happy ,healthy , inquisitive , adaptable and friendly little toddler.  And I’ll go ahead and pat myself on the back for that, and so should you.