Irrespective of what the public may have thought of her, to go at such a tender age and leave 2 young kids, will no doubt have tugged at the  heart strings of the nation - and especially us parents/carers.

You know, it’s odd that in spite of the sadness, there are invariably always some kind of “positives” that can be taken from these events.

In this case;

The 1st - raising the profile of the importance of having regular smear tests  (especially when certain powers that be are pushing to notably lengthen the period between screening) and

The 2nd - to remember to tell our kids we love them, during and at the end of each and every day, NO MATTER what has happened.

We simply do not know when our time will come.

First and foremost, all our kids ever want is our love - no more and no less. So please remember to give it to them in word and deed as often as you can.

Take care folks

Pete

The dilemma….

Do we keep his old mattress or not?

Logically we thought why not? But just to be sure, we looked online to see if there was any other info suggesting an alternative course of action be taken.

It turns out there was.

Whilst the findings were by no means conclusive (you know how it is online), various cases has been made for changing the mattress to avoid possible cot death - some of them strong. So we figured, why take such a massive risk for the sake of a new mattress?

Anyway, we found this report that was very helpful.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/3559308/Cot-Death-Report

It figures, given how valuable the lives of your children are, sharing this was the responsible thing to do. May it help you to draw the right conclusions for your situation.

See you later then

Kids naturally love to ride or drive things, be they pretend cars, bikes or adults!

What makes ride ons naturally popular with children is that, as well as providing hours and hours of fun, they offer the child the opportunity to indulge in heavy duty mimicry.

Your kids will always copy what you, the parent or guardian, says or does - so when they see you driving a car, they want to do exactly the same. They want to be just like you.

And of course, this holds true for both boys and girls - having fun and mimicking are not gender specific.

Now, looking at the overall family of ride on toys as a whole, there are a wide selection that I am going to introduce to you.

You have the most popular which are; ride on cars, ride on jeeps, ride on quads (4 wheels) and ride on trikes or tricycles (3 wheels). But in addition, you also have ride on planes, ride on tractors, ride on scooters and ride on trains amongst others.

An important point to note here, however, is that you need to understand the distinction between a ride on toy and a pedal toy. Some retailers will roll up a pedal toy into the ride on category. Strictly speaking though, a ride on nowadays is an electric powered toy, whereas a pedal or push along toy is exactly that - a toy that moves under the effort of the one riding in or on it. Although you may well physically ride in or on a pedal toy, commercially speaking, there is now a difference. So make sure you know exactly what toy it is you are buying.

In regard to the electrical nature of ride ons, these toys are powered by a low voltage battery attached to a motor which drives one or both back wheels. Typically either a 6V or 12V battery. Logically, the 12V toys are more powerful than the 6V versions and are therefore generally a little more expensive.

12V toys, having more power, are also able to carry more weight as rule. They are slightly faster (typically up to 7-8 kph max speed) and are generally ideal for kids aged 3-8 years. 6V toys, having less power, are generally good for kids aged 2-6 years.

There are various manufacturers of ride ons offering a wide range of models. Probably the most common and most well known brand is Injusa. You will also find a number of unbranded ride ons for sale which are often from China and which can vary in quality from model to model.

Just remember the golden rule when purchasing anything - “you get what you pay for”. Price never has been everything, so please make sure you read the detail on all toys - branded or unbranded.

You are also able to buy licensed ride ons, which are more often than not, ride on cars built under license from actual car manufacturers like Ferrari, BMW, Porsche, Aston Martin & Mini. These toys, as you would expect, have a superior build quality and obviously offer up more kudos.

Finally, always check to see whether the ride on you’re about to buy will be delivered free of charge domestically. You should find that this is the case in most instances, Where it may not be is where you buy some of the heavier toys like the bigger jeeps. Because of their weight, the supplier is charged additional carriage by the courier and so will pass that slightly higher transit cost onto the consumer. This is the exact same situation you will find with many land-based retailers, whether they are selling beds, furniture, white goods or whatever

So, there you have an introduction to the ride on market. I hope you’ve found it useful.

————————————————————————————-
Peter Anglin is the owner of the Toys2ride e-store, which constantly offers jaw-dropping deals on kids’ ride on cars and other ride on toys.

Sale now on for this month at: => www.toys2ride.net

We certainly did and I’m saying that in the past tense as only literally in the last 2 weeks, there’s been a notable turnaround in our son’s shy behaviour - it’s been one of the best times of my life ! (as I look down and see his jam-covered face).

Our boy is 3 1/2 and for as long as he’s been able to talk and interact properly, shyness has plagued him - he’s never played properly with other kids or played at the park freely other than going on the same slide over and over again. Things like the roundabout, rocking horse, see-saw were always a no no.

Each time we pushed him to go on the see-saw for example, there would be  a meltdown and floods of tears. All he wanted to do was the same “safe” things when playing out. Each time we went to a party, all he did was cling to his mum and dad’s legs. He would barely interact.

I can’t really go into too much detail here, as I’d be going on forever. But the bottom line was that it was both frustrating and heart-breaking at the same time to see this level of shyness going on. Particularly because you could see on his face that he really wanted to do things and get involved, but this inner barrier was stopping him.

Now, there were obviously reasons for his shy behaviour that he wasn’t able to communicate. One possibility in regard to his reticence to play on roundabouts, et al, could have been the fact that he wears glasses. Perhaps atypical movements associated with such play things, was unsettling to his vision and balance. Who knows?

With regard to not getting involved and playing with other kids, perhaps it was the spontaneous nature of children that frightened him. He was always happy perfectly around adults, who are obviously much more predictable in their behaviour. Again, who knows?

The bottom line is though, one day at the park he suddenly asked to go on the roundabout - I couldn’t believe my ears. So, I played it cool and said “Ok, if you really want to”, knawing my fist in anticipation the minute he turned his back.

And then, off he went and he was in his element. Since then, he’s been at the house of friends and has happily gone off playing with their kids - it’s absolutely brilliant.

So, I think the point I’m trying to get across here is that, whilst we love our kids to death and just want the best for them, as well as wanting them to fully immerse themselves in all the joy they can handle, they will do it in their own good time. Being shy can and does dissipate with time it would seem.

Just because they are not seemingly confirming to the same behaviours as other kids, doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong.  It just means they’re not ready yet. So I guess shyness could be viewed as a preparatory psychological phase, readying our precious ones for the full onslaught of society.

Speak later

Pete

Just wanted to share this quickly with you, being as I’m now a father of 2 beautiful kids.

My son is 3 1/2 years old and obviously had 100% attention from his parents, grandparents, etc. for his entire life as an only child.

Until, one day, it all changed…

In short, a sister arrived and suddenly his world was no longer the same. It’s been nearly 2 months and admittedly he’s still getting used to the idea*. But knowing how potentially devastating the impact of another sibling can be on the perception of the first born, we took a number of steps to address that beforehand.

(*I don’t know about anybody else, but it literally took me 13 months to fully grasp that I had a kid. I distinctly remember each time I’d been out for a drink after work, when I came in and peeked into to see the little sleeping man, it still didn’t seem real. It took a while for my subconscious to get it. Consciously I obviously knew, but the 34 years of “just me” programming within my subconscious, took a while to adjust. So I guess 2 months for him to adjust is pretty good going)

If you are about to increase the family stakes from 1 to 2 children, then you may find this list of ideas helpful to you - I hope so. It’s by no means a definitive list, but please read, digest and then see if you think they are of value or not.

Here’s what we did;

• Started talking about the new arrival a good 6 months before the due date. Just a little comment here and there to start planting the seed
• When mummy’s tummy was getting noticeably bigger, we bought books about baby in mummy’s tummy and books about being a big brother and read them to him.
• Nearer the time we talked about how exciting it was going to be to have a little sister and asked what games they would play together (as I’m writing, the new arrival is screaming in my ear btw!)
• Continually we stated that we would continue to love him as always and that nothing could ever change that - this cannot be stressed too much!
• The first time he saw her was at home and not at the hospital - they can be scary places for children, particularly on labour ward
• When he saw mummy for the fist time since delivery (about 2 days), mummy wasn’t holding the baby - again, a very important point. Kids can often feel like they’ve been replaced if the first thing they see is mummy clutching and cooing over the new arrival
• The baby was being carried in the baby seat by daddy - daddy wasn’t holding the baby either
• For the first few days, we made sure that each time one of us was attending to the baby, the other was pointedly interacting with my son. This helped reinforce the fact that we still loved him the same, despite his sister’s arrival
• As an ongoing thing, we both ensure that we each have one-on-one time with him - today it’s me and daddy going to the park, tomorrow it’s me and mummy going for a walk

So, there you have it - a few tips that we employed.

We also were keen to do this because our son was a very clingy boy who didn’t really like doing things on his own. It may well be that your first child doesn’t need this kind of attention to detail, as they’re more independent and confident than ours. But it certainly won’t hurt.

Anyway, all the best and please feel to share your experiences.

Speak soon

Pete

****Remember to check out the massive SALE on our ride on cars and ride on toys.****

All I know is that when I saw this 6-wheeled, space-age looking machine that you could program to deliver apples to your Dad, my only thought was

“I must have one of these…NOW!”

Come Christmas, my dreams were answered - but unfortunately Big Trak wasn’t so big when it came to negotiating half decent carpet or outside terrain.

To be honest, even back then I was saddened as to how I’d been oversold the potential of this revolutionary, TV-replacement - and that was as an 8 year old!

Nonetheless, at least it gave me 3 hours of fun.

There are some other great retro toys to check as well as besides Big Trak - enjoy.

Pete

****Remember to check out the massive SALE on our ride on cars and ride on toys.****

Welcome to the Toys2ride blog.

At a guess, you’re probably at least going to be one of the following;

• a parent
• carer
• auntie
• uncle
• cousin
• grand or god-parent

and if so, then at some stage you will have felt the angst of not knowing what the heck to buy your loved one for their birthday or Xmas present! I mean, just how many hours have you lost throughout your life grappling with this annual task?

I dare say a fair few.

But, as you’re about to discover, that needn’t be the case any longer.

You may well agree that, in this increasingly technological age, it’s easy to forget kids still also enjoy the same basic entertainments that us long-since-former-kids used to enjoy. Entertainments such as; riding things, playing football, playing with dolls and/or soldiers, swimming, climbing trees and playing pooh sticks - well, perhaps not pooh sticks, the jury’s out on that one.

I for one will never forget my first classic love.  It was the summer of ‘76 (one of the hottest ever in the UK if I recall) and as a 5 year old littl’un, I had a birthday experience that will never ever leave me. On the morning in question when I awoke, there in the living room was a wrapped box.

But not just any box…

This box was big, it had presence, it oozed an aura of specialness and so I got about it with a fury. In no more than 8 seconds, an awesome beast had been released from it’s ridiculously-sellotaped paper and  cardboard bondage.

“BEHOLD!“

‘Twas a fantastic, red plastic, manual ride on car called a Little Trekker. And it was the best birthday present I ever received.

Suffice it to say, Lil’ T and I presently became one and I soon found out that Adrian, Ralph’s little brother round the corner, had one too! No more TV for me - I had places to go and see with Adrian in my Trekker.

As a result of that toy experience and my childhood in general, I made a vow that my kids would also be offered the same chance to partake of the simple as well as the modern and that’s why this dedicated ride on cars and ride on toys website is here and alive today. Admittedly, I’ve moved with the times and so the products are electric and not manual, but their underlying raison d’etre remains…

All little kids, boys and girls, love to sit on and in things and move

They, just like the little me of ‘76, have places, people and things to see. And ride on cars and toys offer them that opportunity to experience a bit of adventure. They’re great fun in the park, garden, driveway or even indoors - and when your little, fun is what life is all about.

As our children grow up quicker and mature faster nowadays, you need to make sure you capitalise on what little time of true innocence they have left.

I hope you enjoyed the post and please feel free to post your comments. Perhaps you could share some of your own experiences.

Take care for now.

Pete Anglin

****Remember to check out the massive SALE on our ride on cars and ride on toys.****