Littlemummy interview

Play activities has their first play date …

I invited Erica and Erin over to [tag]play[/tag] and they accepted. It’s always exciting to have a [tag]play date[/tag].

Erica is a busy mum to nineteen month old Erin. Play activities recently caught up with Erica who runs the successful blog [tag]littlemummy.com[/tag] where she shares her thoughts and ideas on all things [tag]parenting[/tag] and teaching.

How does she do it? Let’s find out how she balances both jobs.

1.What’s your favourite activity?

I really enjoy taking Erin to the park, we’ve also joined a gymnastics group which is a lot of fun. I’m enjoying activities that involve meeting other children and parents at the moment, it’s nice for Erin as she doesn’t attend nursery, and nice for me because I don’t work.

2. What’s her favourite book?

Both Erin and I are fans of the Usborne touch & feel books, their ideal for toddlers as there’s an element of interaction. We have about six now, which we’ve been reading since she was about six months old.

3. What does Erin like to do?

Erin enjoys drawing and making sticker pictures, she can easily go through a sheet of stickers a day. She also loves her kitchen and pretending to make cups of tea and sausages, and yes, they are served together….mmmm..yum

4. What was the last project you worked on together?

I keep a list of activities and ideas which give me inspiration when I’m too tired to think. Our last activity was playing with some finger puppets we had in the craft tray, and the activity before that we took her to a garden centre to see the fish and animals, we take her there regularly as it ticks all the boxes – educational, fun and free!

5.Erica, what were your favourite play-activities when you were Erin’s age?

Much like Erin I enjoyed reading, drawing and creative activities like painting, gluing and play dough.

6. Where do you go locally for walks?

We don’t have a regular spot for walking. Over the past few months we’ve been to Cramond, Portobello and North Berwick, all coastal places. We go to the Botanic Gardens, Inverleith park or the meadows when we want somewhere grassy that Erin can roam around.

7. What everyday play-activities did your parent do with you?

My mum was always good at getting us involved with everyday activities or making up games. She wasn’t really the craft type though.

8. What’s a typical day in the Littlemummy household?

We spend the morning getting ready and doing household tasks and, for Erin at least, taking a nap. I usually spend nap time doing jobs that Erin can’t help with, like sorting the finances, and [tag]blogging[/tag]. After nap time we have one of the following planned, a play date, visit to a family member or visit to library/park/shops. When we have nothing organised I turn to my list of activities which include craft, art, reading, playing, baking – pretty much anything that we can do indoors. This routine works well for us both and provides a good variety.

9. What childhood games do you remember fondly?

Most of my [tag]childhood memories[/tag] centre around games I played with my brother like heads and volleys, making up assault courses and playing with his cars. My cousins and I enjoyed playing school, needless to say I was always the teacher 🙂

10. Do you have play dates?

Our last play date was with my friend and her son, we usually let them play freely. I provided a blanket and a ‘picnic’ for lunch.

11. What open ended play ideas do you have in your home that Erin can start and stop by herself?

Erin has access to the majority of the toys in her room, including doll, jigsaws, light and sound toys etc. In the living room she has constant access to her kitchen for role play. I also leave a box of crayons, notepad and stickers on the coffee table for her to create pictures as she wishes. This variety usually keeps mischief to a minimum.

It can be a hard transition being at home with a little one or two, juggling everything. Being a parent is just so different to everything that came before.

12. What 3 things would you recommend to the parent at home and having a hard time?

• Find a routine that suits you both, ie try and have a nap time for when you need a break too.

• Try and have something planned every day, it gives you a reason to get organised and something to look forward to.

• Ensure that you keep a part of yourself, whether it’s keeping up with a personal hobby or going on an evening course to arm yourself with skills that you can use when you go back to work. I even found that blogging filled some of the void left by not being in paid employment.