Join Sainsbury's Little Ones
baby & toddler club now and receive
your FREE gift and exclusive benefits
- FREE Huggies Mum & Baby Bundle (worth £9.99)
or 500 Nectar points* - FREE Sainsbury's Little Ones baby & toddler club
welcome pack - FREE quarterly Little Ones magazine and
money-off coupons - Sainsburys.co.uk/littleones - full of delicious
recipes and expert advice for you and your family
* To join Sainsbury's Little Ones baby & toddler club you must be pregnant or have a child
up to the age of 4 years old. Parents with children aged 3 months to 4 years at the time of joining
will receive 500 Nectar points. Pregnant women and parents with babies aged under 3 months at the
time of joining will receive the Huggies Mum & Baby Bundle, worth £9.99, when they purchase any pack of
Huggies newborn nappies. One membership per Nectar card. Open to UK Residents Only
Our experts Blogs
Andrew Clover
Andrew Clover is a dad of three. He is an actor, comedian and wrote the weekly column in the Sunday Times, ‘Dad Rules’. Andrew appears in the programme, ‘My Almost Famous Family’ on BBC2 and recently released the insightful book, ‘Dad Rules’.
Time out...
What's your number one tip for beating the winter blues?
I'd recommend what we did recently...We had the Deakins family round and I challenged them to a Dance Off. We put on loud Louis Prima music and it all kicked off. The Deakins were judged to have won the first dance. The Clovers won the second. Then we ate a massive lunch.
Have you stuck to your new year's resolutions or failed miserably?
This year I’m trying to enjoy my work, and not to get tense. I've started teaching storytelling in a primary school which is good. But recentli I had five stand-up gigs in one week.
What are you looking forward to about spring?
We recently went to the Royal Court Theatre. We got the cheapest tickets, but the view was still great, and we really enjoyed it. I’ve got three more theatre dates planned, and I’m looking forward to all of them.
My guide for new dads
Andrew Clover gives his own top tips for new dads
The Government has released its Guide for New Dads. ‘Welcome to the greatest adventure of your life,’ it begins, then advises ‘avoid a situation where mother-and-child become the new couple, and you’re on the outside...’ This is useful, but dispiriting, so I’m offering my own guide for both new parents. Here’s everything you need to know…
1. Don’t let the baby suck just for comfort, or mum will get really sore. Usually the new mum spends the first day saying: ‘She looks so sweet!’ and the second saying: ‘My nipples are in agony!’
2. Beware: you’ll be inundated by visitors. Most are relatives whose mission is to claim the child for their family. ‘Oh look’ they say, ‘she looks just like Uncle Rodney!’ Usher the well-wishers out, unless they’re offering to cook.
3. When you change their nappy, lift both feet, or you might twist their hips. When you lift babies, support the head. Beyond that, be confident with them. They’re sturdier than you think.
4. After feeding they must burp. You hold them upright and they do it themselves. But sometimes you can expel the burp by massaging gently on the lower back. This is immensely satisfying. You feel like you’re playing bagpipes, while making a milky smell.
5. As soon as possible you’ll want a schedule: feeding every three hours, with naps in between. At first, they want to sleep all the time. Try to copy them.
6. Remember: breastfeeding is best. But it’s a good idea if dad does the 1am feed from a bottle. It gives mum a rest, and gives him something to do. I adored that feed. My daughter would stare into my eyes, giving me a look, which seemed to say: ‘I don’t know who you are, but I think I love you… I have just peed! It feels warm!’
7. Don’t worry if they cry a little before sleeping. Wrap them tightly and then leave them. If you stay and fuss, you’re raising a child who’ll refuse to sleep, unless she’s being rocked/patted/sung to. My daughter Cassady kept that up for years. Aged four, she was still waking at night, and calling for her masseur. And I love singing, but not when it’s 3am, and the only song allowed is Old MacDonald Had a Farm.
8. If they’re crying, they’re generally trying to say ‘I’m tired!’ or ‘I’m hungry!’ or ‘it is too HOT and SHOUTY in here!’ Your job is to empathise, and respond. Soon you’re noticing that the air in the garden is cooler and calmer. You’re starting to see the world from their point of view. And if you can do that, you’re really beginning the greatest adventure of your life.
Add your comments
All comments on the Sainsbury's Little Ones site are moderated