Tots to Teens: A festival cúpla focal with Mo Chuid Amhráin Nollag
Medical doctor Helen Barry worried her firstborn was not getting enough milk while breastfeeding.
She researched solutions and, along with her husband, developed the world’s first accurate breastfeeding monitor, Coro. It was recently named consumer product of the year at the Irish Design Awards.
Coro is a detachable and reusable silicone nipple shield. It contains tiny micro-sensors that measure the baby’s milk consumption.
These sensors are linked to a companion app on the mum’s phone, where she can check how much nutrition her baby is getting.
- For details, see: corobaby.com
Children’s clothes can be expensive, and they grow out of them all too quickly. This can put families under financial pressure, not to mention the ethical dilemmas associated with using garments for only a short time.
Dublin mums Ashley Doyle and Katherine McCalmont want to make children’s clothing more affordable and sustainable for families.
That’s why they have set up Bears Club, an online marketplace for pre-loved children’s clothing and parenting essentials.
Families are invited to sell their secondhand items to the club. All they need to do is upload photos or videos to the platform. After a quick approval process to ensure safety and quality, those items are offered for sale to other families.
The platform also has a community element, with a blog section that shares expert tips on topics like establishing a sleep routine, weaning onto solid food, and travelling with toddlers.
- Visit bears-club.com to find out more.
Primary school teacher Bernie Woods, aka The Meaningful Múinteoir, is known for her work as a creative mindfulness practitioner for children.
The Kilkenny woman recently published The Meaningful Mindful Poetry series, which consists of three books for children, aimed at five- to eight-year-olds; eight- to 11-year-olds, and 11- to 14-year-olds.
All three books contain poems Woods wrote to spark conversations about challenging emotions and situations and the mindful practices that can help us navigate them.
- The books can be purchased online from exa.mn/meaningful-poetry, starting at €9.95.
The Irish language repertoire has some wonderful Christmas songs, and a gorgeous new addition to the My Irish Book series will allow your little ones to learn some of them.
By pushing the button on , they will hear five classic Christmas songs, including ‘Bualadh Bos’ and ‘An Oíche Úd i mBeithil’.
They can follow the words, look at the colourful illustrations and sing along.
- This hardback book would make a great stocking filler for a primary school child, and it’s widely available in bookshops, from €12.95.