Little Starts: Parents Shouldn't Have To Compromise Child Development This Christmas

DERBY, England, Nov. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The cost-of-living crisis shouldn't mean compromising child development and parents' mental health. However, that's the dilemma many families face this Christmas. Increasing costs mean many parents are choosing between taking their children to activity-based classes, which aid child development and provide support for parents, versus everyday necessities.

Mum of two and founder of Little Starts Gift Cards, Katie Lavis, is making a stand. She is encouraging loved ones to help their friends and family by gifting experiences at classes like swimming, dance, music, sensory and more instead of things this Christmas, helping families with the cost-of-living crisis and addressing both child development and mental health issues.

The Little Starts Gift Card is the leading gift card for baby, toddler and preschool classes,  which helps parents and their little ones get out of the house, have fun, make memories, increase development and boost mental health.

With inflation rising above 10% and the most significant interest rate hike in a decade, families are facing difficult choices about what they spend their hard-earned money on. Even big brands like John Lewis, Tesco and Aldi have shifted their approach to focus more on value and spreading kindness this year.  Increasingly, parents must decide which activities, if any, they can afford for their children. And yet, data shows how essential classes and activities are for children and particularly new parents.

The Little Starts Gift Card opens the door to a world of different activity-based classes. The gift card recipient can choose from over 5000 weekly classes, selecting those in a location and on a day and time that suits them. Participating classes from well-known brands accepting Little Starts Gift Cards include Baby Sensory, Bloom, Rhythm Time, Diddi Dance, Little Learners, and BilinguaSing. Everything from swimming to singing and dancing to doodling is available.

Founder and mum Katie Lavis said, "When I had my first baby, Olly, getting out to classes was the thing that had the most positive impact on our lives. It helped us get out of the house, have fun, make memories, build a support network and, most importantly, develop him. When I couldn't find a way to gift these experiences to friends and family, I decided to create it myself."

She adds, "Many parents are already worried about the impact the pandemic has had on their children's development by not being able to get out and access activities as they usually would. It's heartbreaking that they now have to make difficult choices about what they can and can't do again. Gifting classes with a Little Starts Gift Card helps with the cost of attending classes – it's vital for child development and parent's well-being, plus it's far more impactful than another plastic toy that will be destined for the back of the cupboard or, worse, the bin!'

For more information, visit www.littlestartsgiftcards.com
Or contact katie@littlestartsgiftcards.com

Little Starts Gift Cards are available from £10 - £200 as an e-card or printed gift card on 100% recyclable paperboard.

Sources:

Cost of Living & Inflation: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9428/ 
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/nov/03/bank-england-warn-uk-economy-longest-recession-100-year-raise-rate-three-percent 
Importance of classes and post-natal depression https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/may/new-mothers-twice-likely-have-post-natal-depression-lockdown

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuGAJ9XY87I