Baby&ToddlerCapture atiny footprintIn 18 years’ time, you’ll look from your spiky,
lilac-haired teenager to this teeny-tiny
footprint, and smile in disbelief at the time
gone by. The salt-dough used to create the cast
is simple to make, especially if you have an
older toddler to help you with the mixing, and
you’ve probably got all the ingredients you
need in the cupboard already.
To make the dough, mix together one
mug-full of plain flour and one mug-full of table
salt in a bowl. Then gradually pour in up to half
a mug of tepid water, mixing with your fingers
until it forms a dough. It’s reached the right
consistency when it stops sticking to your
fingers. You might not need all the water, but if
you think you’ve used too much, add extra flour
to compensate. Knead the dough for a few
minutes until it becomes smooth and stretchy.
Split the dough into four (there’s enough here
to make four footprints), and roll one section in
the palms of your hands to form a ball. Place on
a lightly-floured surface and roll gently with a
rolling pin to flatten. Now press your baby’s
foot into the dough.
Lay the cast on a baking tray lined with
greaseproof paper and bake in a very cool oven
(100C/210F/gas mark 1/2) for three hours.
Remove from the oven, loosen from the
greaseproof paper, and check the underside. If
it’s not fully dried, turn upside down on the tray
and return to the oven for a further hour. Leave
overnight to cool and harden. If you’d like to
paint it, use an acrylic paint – gold or
silver looks great!WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE
THIS MEMORY
● Linda says: ‘When your child is
older,she’ll loveto know allabout
herselfanddiscoverwhatshewaslike when
shewastiny. Withthisfootprintcast, youcan
say, “Lookat yourlittlefoot!Lookat how tiny
youwerethenandhow
bigyouare now.”It’s
proof of how she’s
developed.You
willneverfeel
thepassageof
timemore
intensely
thanasa
parent,and
thiswillbe
a valuable
mementoof
theselovely
earlyyears.’Start a Mother’s DayjournalYou might think you’ll never forget just how
gorgeous your baby is right now, or all those
funny words your toddler comes out with, but
you can only remember so many, so why not
start a Mother’s Day journal now? As well as it
being a record of this and all the Mother’s Days
to come, use it to capture a snapshot of your
ever-changing family each and every year.
Write down those crazy little things that you
love about your tot. Ask your partner to note
down why he thinks you’re a fab mum. Get your
tot to add some scribbles, too, and as he grows,
to draw a picture of you, and one day in his
finest handwriting explain why he thinks you’re
the best mum in the world. Stick in the heart
torn from newspaper that arrived with your
breakfast in bed, the receipt from the coffee
shop where you went for chocolate muffins and
babyccinos, and a photo of you all feeding the
ducks afterwards. Begin a new Mother’s Day
tradition to sit down on the sofa as a family, and
look through this time capsule of special
moments spent together.WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE
THIS MEMORY
● Linda says: ‘The celebration that is
Mother’s Day gives a clear message to
our little ones that being a mummy is
really important. It’s good to pause
and focus on someone who’s often
aken for granted. Keeping a journal
s a great way to give your child
snapshots of your family
through time, and of
what’s constant
within it.’However small your garden, put planting
sunflowers on your plan for this Mother’s Day.
These cheerful flowers are so straightforward that
your toddler will be able to get involved, and will love the
tall bright yellow flowers that will appear in the summer.
Find sunflower seeds in packets for a couple of pounds in
your local garden centre, supermarket or DIY store. Once
growing in the garden, the plants and their flowers are
robust enough to withstand a curious toddler's
handling, and will look good if cut and brought inside
arranged in a vase. Follow the instructions on the
packet and sow the seeds in pots to sit on a warm
windowsill for now. When they’re big enough, plant
them out in a sunny spot in your garden or in a
deep container. Sunflowers will create quite a
statement in your garden, reaching 2.5m
or more in height, with flowers
30cm across.
Lindasays:‘Oneof your
core tasksasa parentis to
create memorieswith yourchild. It
gives her a sense of history and of
connection. When these flowers
bloom, you’ll all be reminded of that
time you enjoyed together. And it’s
great for a little one to learn to wait for
something good. This project will
teach your child that if she takes
care of something, it’ll give
her something back.’Why you should
make this memorPlant
sunflowers