UKBouldering.com
the shizzle => shootin' the shit => Topic started by: SA Chris on December 31, 2009, 03:32:53 pm
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As a newbie father, appreciate any tips that the gnarled veterans out there have.
Was given the feed until sleepy, then change nappy which perks him up a bit, then feed again while perky tip yesterday, which is devistatingly efffective in getting him to kip for a couple of hours at a time.
Also any good books or websites to read?
Thanks
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Due to a regrettable lack of standardisation in the manufacturing process for children, every one of them is different.
So something like 90% of the advice you'll get will not be relevant to you and yours, or just plain won't work. You can't :rtfm:, but it doesn't hurt to be informed as long as you bear that in mind.
Just try and keep them clean(ish), give them a good diet and keep them happy. You'll learn fast. Just remember that kids are tougher than you think, but they grow up really fast - relax your plans and ideas, because I really doubt that anyone gets old and says "I wish I'd spent less time with my children".
PS It gets better every year - especially when the nappies are gone!
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For a good long sleep at night, give them a feed (say at 10pm), let them sleep for an hour or so then feed 'em again at around 11ish. The second feed should see them through the night, or most of it.
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Persist with winding, a few seconds back rubbing isn't enough. Make sure you get as much as you can up. Ours wouldn't settle sometimes and from what i remember it was always wind.
Congrats by the way, you've joined a club that is 99% bliss, amazing & 1% "I just need some friggin sleep"
Oh, and if you've got a couple of weeks paternaty, grab sleep when they're asleep that way you can function a silly o'clock
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Not sleeping? Walk with them held close to you (some combination of the heartbeat and the pace I believe is why it works), I found long even strides worked, back to sleep pretty quick, it also made me feel very close to him in one of those wooly, inexplicable ways. Singing Nirvana's "Come as You Are" also worked - sometimes.
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i agree with close hugging thing.when my daughter was a toddler she would fight going to sleep.so hugging her so she couldn't wriggle but not quite suffocating her,she would eventually go to sleep.
mind that was easier than trying to get sleep while shes still out raving with her mates.
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Start roughening up his little knees and elbows now, ready for his first chimneys in a few years :)
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Palomides is right about variation although I quite liked the manufacturing process myself. There don't seem to be any hard-and-fast rules that I can discern after 4 months at it, and babies change all the time, but this works a treat for us:
http://www.littlesleepyhead.co.uk/?gclid=CM2uovmfgZ8CFUoB4wodj3h4JA (http://www.littlesleepyhead.co.uk/?gclid=CM2uovmfgZ8CFUoB4wodj3h4JA)
Seriously , it's a miracle.
Tracks include: Tumble dryer/ Washing Machine/ Vacuum cleaner and a handful of others.
More temporary might be the vacuum cleaner but it's likely to be very loud at night. Try over-the-shoulder and gentle pacing next to the cooker-hood on full tilt too.
Other things to consider as Mr Burns sugggest include winding properly (it's an art-form) but be aware it's possible a child won't want to burp at times, and swaddling: some love it/some don't. He'll let you know.
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Christ.
Great thread, as I'm half cut I'll keep my opinion for another day. It won't be any better than above, as the disperate nature of the whole process is well explained above.
I have 4 critters. It's ace.
I as a result am having 2 bottles of fizzy while the kids are up with the missus, when critters crash so shall we. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
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Agree with all of the above and also remember that they only get more entertaining. For the first few months you're just keeping something you love more than anything alive. Then you start getting a return on your investment.
My boy is just 3 and the look on his face last night when I pointed out the big wheel as we walked down Division St on our way to go on it made my Christmas / life so far.
It's the best thing ever.
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Persist with winding, a few seconds back rubbing isn't enough.
Any recommended method? I am trying the sitting on the knee and leaning froward method, which is sometimes effective.
Took him for a short walk yesterday afternoon, he got to see the best things in life - waves, snow, sunshine and rock all in one fell swoop. Mostly slept through it though! Conditions in the hills are fantastic for climbing and skiing and there are waves to be had, but there is nowhere i would rather be than with him right now. I'm on leave until the 19th or something, so no rush to get back to work.
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My girls are three and a half and one, it gets easier and more rewarding all the time. For the first few weeks just go with the flow, treasure it - and remember you never catch back up on the sleep. It is amazing and it get's more amazing everyday. Both of mine were pretty much sleeping through by 12 weeks - mainly due to luck.but can't remember either of them really sleeping before then.my only tip is to make sure you both catch little naps when your little one is asleep.
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I'd suggest a routine is helpful too, not necessarily to the specificity of whatsername, but at least doing the same things roughly the same each time. It seemed to work for our two, although they are going through a phase of waking at the moment which I'm sure will pass soon.
Winding- we used a combo of back patting/rubbing and having them sat up and rotating them gently. Hold with hand under chin (but allow some room for breathing) then turn this hand in gentle circles. No SCIENCE but it works OK, although it may just be the time they spend sat up that does the trick.
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a routinue... but not that weird woman's mantra. food / bath / bed. same time...
i agree with jasper, they take 9 months in and 9 months out to become human.
as soon as: long walks out in buggy. even better send the missus out to run with the buggy.
12 weeks and sleeping through :(
12 months.. if I'm lucky... :boohoo:
for winding.. over the shoulder and then walk about...
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Books:
"What every parent needs to know" (http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Every-Parent-Needs-Know/dp/1405320362) by Margret Sunderland - either states the bleedin obvious or is a total revelation depending on who reads it
"The contented little baby book" (http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Contented-Little-Baby-Book/dp/0091912695/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262343937&sr=1-1) by Gina Ford - 9 years ago I had no idea how to look after a baby, no one nearby who knew and a baby that didn't sleep for much more than an hour at a time. I followed the feeding and sleeping routines in this book and we were sorted. If you end up at the point where you just want to be told what to do coz your too tired to make your own decisions then this is a fine book to get. This time round I've ended up with a baby that is happy all the time and sleeps very well at night, so we haven't had to resort to Ms Ford's dictations.
Burping beta:
As mentioned above; it can take ages for a burp to come up, but it's worth persisting coz the baby will feel much better. My technique involves leaning the baby slightly forward, their chest resting on my palm with my thumb under one arm pit and my middle finger (and the next 2 fingers) under the other, index finger can be used to steady the head. The baby's bum resting on my thigh. Gently rub their back or pat gently until a burp comes out
found a pic on 'tinterweb - like this
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/185/478810734_4de914b92e.jpg)
Feeding beta:
you can trick them into getting a bit more milk inside by moving their jaw up and down when they stop - just gently nudge it in a rhythm similar to their own sucking rate. Even if they fall asleep this can stimulate them into getting a bigger feed - which means more sleep :thumbsup:
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I can only guess that the proliferation of baby talk on this forum is causing googleads to start showing links like this one!!
http://www.clubnutricia.com.au/forums_and_friends?gclid=CJmC1e2Lg58CFQwwpAodtiqTzA (http://www.clubnutricia.com.au/forums_and_friends?gclid=CJmC1e2Lg58CFQwwpAodtiqTzA)
::)
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I would like to point out that I am in no way trying to tell you to talk about babies on other forums...honestly! :ang:
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For wind, get some Infacol - it really helps. Position-wise, we would put Squeak over our shoulders and pat his back until some wind came out, we would then pat his bum until a bit more came up. Patting from two different angles seemed to help.
For calming, we found a detuned radio helped. White noise in general worked, but I wasn't happy leaving the hairdryer running for hours on end. Radio 3 worked ok, but Gregorian chants at 3am make you feel like you are on a different planet, so we just knocked the tuner to white noise and left it.
Most important piece of advice - make the most of being able to just sit and cuddle your sleeping baby. They grow up so fast and it's not long before they are too busy playing to have hours of cuddles.
Erm, thinking..... if he starts being "off" take him to the Dr straight away (I'm sure you would anyway, but remember this as they get older). Don't assume it's "probably a cold" - Squeak was really prone to ear infections which started off with coldy symptoms but slid into proper illness (temperature, vomiting) quite quickly and needed antibiotics to treat. Hopefully your little lad won't get these, but it's worth knowing.
The sleep deprivation doesn't last forever, and you'll probably start to function ok through the haze :)
Nim
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Had 3 x 2 hr sleeps last night, bonus!!!! Getting the winding down, managing to bring up a good belch is highly satisfying.
Got a book that is proving to be really useful - "the new father - a dad's guide to the first year" by Armin A Brott.
Also a great hassle saver - got dimmer switches fitted in a few rooms - not only great for adjusting light in day / night, but also great for turning lights on with shoulder (or head in shorty's case) with hands full.
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Start roughening up his little knees and elbows now, ready for his first chimneys in a few years :)
No child of mine will be allowed to partake in such ridiculous activities.
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Glad it's going well Chris, get the routine going and stick to it. We did with out little girl and it's paid off big time.
Having said that, she has woken me up for breakfast this morning
when it was supposed to be my turn for a sleep in. Not her fault though!
One other little tip which is not the most Eco friendly but works is short car journeys. I have seen myself put the wee un in the car and drive 5-10 miles to get her to sleep. Only used as a last resort but has saved my sanity a few times. Just be careful as you may well be tired yourself!
All the advice that others have given I agree with. The biggest thing as mentioned is getting them in a routine. It makes everyone function better.
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I have seen myself put the wee un in the car and drive 5-10 miles to get her to sleep.
I have previously been found walking the streets with a screaming child in a pram at 3am. Luckily the old pram had a couple of cup holders, so at least I got a beer for the trouble.
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Luckily the old pram had a couple of cup holders, so at least I got a beer for the trouble.
Possibly the best advice anyone has given so far! Don't forget pint pot/beer can holder options when considering your pram choice.
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Try and stay calm. My Mrs used to get worked up when ours wouldn't take a feed, if you can stay calm they'll respond better to you.
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"The contented little baby book" (http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Contented-Little-Baby-Book/dp/0091912695/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262343937&sr=1-1) by Gina Ford - 9 years ago I had no idea how to look after a baby, no one nearby who knew and a baby that didn't sleep for much more than an hour at a time. I followed the feeding and sleeping routines in this book and we were sorted. If you end up at the point where you just want to be told what to do coz your too tired to make your own decisions then this is a fine book to get.
Seconded. A very good book to follow regarding feeding and sleeping patterns. My missus followed it for our first and plans to do the same for offspring number 2
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I have seen myself put the wee un in the car and drive 5-10 miles to get her to sleep.
I have previously been found walking the streets with a screaming child in a pram at 3am. Luckily the old pram had a couple of cup holders, so at least I got a beer for the trouble.
that rings a bell...
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Gina Ford? Isn't she the woman with no kids, no medical, nursing or midwifery training and no real experience of looking after brats? If so I'd rather use common sense and ask my cat.
My advice would be,
Follow your instincts and be flexible, babies routines don't really work out with hard and fast plans.
Feeding, breast is best and weaning with breast milk and rice worked well; after that make your own food the prepared stuff is fucking expensive and not very good.
Unless your child is deaf do not follow this bollocks fad of 'signing' all it does is retard the development of their speech, if you talk to them properly from day one and let them look at your face and see the movements etc they'll be fine.
New father's hormones are just as skittish (well not quite) as new mothers so be prepared for up and down days and for their crying to really get to you, don't worry about that that's what it's evolved to do, produce stress hormones and get a response.
The other really top tip is make sure that when her mother is up you get out for a blokes session down the boozer and doss on a mates floor after a kebab.
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For the love of god please don't use baby-speak.
We have a friend, a teacher of all things, who talks to her baby like... well like it's a baby I suppose.
Stupid stunted sentences full of made up words.
Examples:
"nap-nap" = nappy
"bot-bot" = bottom
"bic-bic" = biscuit
"Want na-na?" (with excessive AQI) = "Would you like a banana?"
etc etc etc...
If you want your child to speak properly speak to it properly.
(agree with Sloper about the signing thing, it's no more than fad-following trendy wankology)
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The baby speak thing is just so fucking annoying but at least it's semi rational and better than not talking to them, the signing thing is just fukwit on a stick, what next crystal therapy for teething, reiki potty training sessions.
The other thing I'd say is don't use a dummy, they'll find their thumbs soon enough and that's a perfect nipple replacement with the added bonus of, it doesn't get lost, you won't forget it, they can't chuck it on the floor, it's fairly clean and so on.
For books I'd also advise ignoring the age limits, most proles aren't capable of reading a child's book at 8 so I'd suggest from two days old
The Gruffalo and all of the Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler books, all the Hairy McClairy books and of course the complete Beatrix Potter, Good Night Moon is also superb for developing their eyesight and focus.
Avoid any tosh that doesn't encourage good diction, grammar and syntax; if they get it right from day 2 they'll never look back. I recommend reading to a new born for at least 6 x 10 minute sessions a day.
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Unless your child is deaf do not follow this bollocks fad of 'signing' all it does is retard the development of their speech, if you talk to them properly from day one and let them look at your face and see the movements etc they'll be fine.
There is absolutely no evidence that baby signing retards development of speech. This is the kind of bollocks spouted by anxious grandparents and/or people who have no experience of it and just think its "trendy wankology". I've been to Sing and Sign classes with our little'un from the age of about 9 months old and the benefits have been huge. It's meant that our 12 month old could communicate with us without having to cry incessantly to tell us the most basic things (I'm hungry, thirsty, sleepy, cold, hot, I want more, etc, etc.). She is now 18 months olds and already has a very well developed vocabulary so I find it very unlikely learning to sign has done anything other than helping her to learn to speak even quicker than normal.
And it has taught me that doing things I was massively sceptical and un-interested in can actually be really good fun. The last thing I ever thought I would be doing on a Wedsnesday morning would be spending 45 minutes in a room with a load of milfs singing nursery rhymes, but I actually really enjoyed it, and found that it was a really nice way of spending some time doing something fun that the sprog loves.
Anyway, if nothing else this thread does show that there is no standard way to bring up kids - they're all different, as are the parents.
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....oh, and obviously don't forget the golden rule. Never, ever turn down the chance to spend time in a room with a load of yummy mummys under the premise of learning some baby signs ;)
It is eminently more appealing than spending time listening to sloper talking clearly and making me look a his face.
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Percy, your point about the danger of drawing comparisons is absolutely spot on, all kids and all parents are different; however I've met a large number of parents and children who do the signing bollocks and all their kids are massively quiet in absolute terms and all retarded in relative terms (I can't remember seeing Annie for a while so I don't count her in that group).
If signing is a part of communication with a large amount of verbal stimulus and encouragement for the child to speak and with you and Mrs Bish listening then it probably doesn't do any harm; and I'm sure this is what you've done. Not everyone however does this.
Personally I have a very limited range of experience of being a father and wouldn't hold myself out as any expert but I see the siging thing as a rite on new age twat way of fucking up children's education, a bit like the fashion for thinking they'll just naturally understand the rules of spelling and grammar and we know where that led (I think your school was different though ;))
Rules are for the obeyance of fools and the guideance of wise men, sadly too many people see things that can play a valid part in the mix of raising a child and use it exclusively to the detriment of more valid approaches.
The question with regard to sign language is, do you use it (other than when driving :wank: :wave: etc) no, you don't so why expect your child to?
anyway back on a more postive note, we're potty training Hugo at the moment and due to a friend giving him a Thomas the Tank Engine a while back leading to a Thomas obsession, we have Thomas the Tank engine pants. Obviously you don't want to wee on them so, well early days but it's going well.
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....oh, and obviously don't forget the golden rule. Never, ever turn down the chance to spend time in a room with a load of yummy mummys under the premise of learning some baby signs ;)
It is eminently more appealing than spending time listening to sloper talking clearly and making me look a his face.
Think of a sign, any sign
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It is eminently more appealing than spending time listening to sloper talking clearly and making me look a his face.
:lol:
Funniest thing posted on here all year... :P
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Yeah all 2.66 days of it.
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some good points, my 2pence worth:
I'm not sure what all this routine stuff is about, people seem to like banging on about it, we all have a rough routine that we subconsciously follow, although we don't all have a bath at exactly half 6 and have our dinner at exactly 5 and go to bed at 7 on the dot etc... (if you do your a bit weird or just need some variety in your life) I don't understand why people have their kids doing this, I've seen some parents go into near panic attacks because its 3 minutes past 7 and their child isn't in bed. Maybe we've just got a very good child but we don't plan on raising Archie any different, they fit in with our life not the other way round, obviously we have breakfast, dinner and tea like everyone and sometimes a afternoon nap and a bath most night and go to bed everynight, but there are no set times when this happens. It makes everything so much more flexable.
Also the 2 year old stays up till around 9/10ish and she lets us know when she wants to go to bed, I know people will be shocked by this as they like to have some time to themselves but the winning combination of actually spending more time with your kids and being able to have a lie in is dynamite.and then she normally gets into bed with us and has an extra hour.
Last point, as much as i tried to avoid being a 'cool' parent with one of these 'cool' 3 wheel all terrain buggies, we eventually had to give in and get a Phil and teds one as it converts into a double buggy now we have 2. anyway, its shear genius design and its mega. I wish we had got one from the start instead of a pramette that converts from a pram to a pushchair but does neither brilliantly.
We got one of these:
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6yhZ9nRHhuk/SbazB5wB3MI/AAAAAAAACqs/maGHigh1dX8/s400/41efygOJ1YL._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
also got it 2nd hand off fleabay for £140 instead of the £400 for new, slight cosmetic damage but excellent working order.
eBay is your best friend as a new parent
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thats next to fuck all.
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Totally agree about giving two fingers to the rigid and rabid routine shite, news years eve we had friends over and their daughter is a friend of Hugo's and they ran around in the other room until they were tired (about 9 ish) and then went to bed. We try and keep Hugo to a loose routine with bed about 7 but then again tonight he's still up and refusing to go to sleep, although things sound promising now, time to decant the burgundy.....
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Ohh for lots of cheap stuff join the NCT and beat the proles into their nearly new sales.
http://www.nctpregnancyandbabycare.com/home (http://www.nctpregnancyandbabycare.com/home)
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This thread is conjuring some terrifying imagery.
First I had Joe Picalli clutching a baby firmly to his chest and striding out into the wilderness singing Nirvana songs - I wouldn't fancy meeting this combo coming the other way on a dark night.
Now I have Sloper potty training young Hugo whilst wearing matching sets of Thomas the Tank Engine undercrackers.
My mind's eye seems to have entered a very strange place......
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It is eminently more appealing than spending time listening to sloper talking clearly and making me look a his face.
:lol:
Funniest thing posted on here all year... :P
You're insane.
... be prepared for up and down days and for their crying to really get to you, don't worry about that that's
It doesn't bother me, I can tune out anything.
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Sadly at some point children do need to get set into some kind of routine , it really does help when they start school .... Both Esmée and Malachi are absolute sodding nightmares if they don't get at least ten hours of decent kip , hence they're both in bed by 8.30 of a week night ..... And congratulations Chris on't new arrival :great:
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Best advice I ever got was to remember that everything is Just A Phase.
Getting sod all sleep? - It's Just A Phase, and will pass.
Sleeping 12 hours straight through? - Don't get too hopeful, it's Just A Phase, and don't be too disappointed when you're being screamed at a 3am again.
Stick with it!
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Best advice I ever got was to remember that everything is Just A Phase.
a-men to that brother.
General good tips:
white noise can be a real knockout punch for a tired baby. for about the first 6 months we used this extensively (hairdrier, untuned radio etc) when he was difficult to settle for bed, or when he got over-tired then grumpy. We had this little crappy windup radio so you could wind it up and it run itself down after maybe 10 minutes, by whihc time he'd dropped off - great at night cos it meads you can get your head down without either having to stay up or wake up to turn it off. it reminds them of the background noise of the womb so is comforting. They natually lose succepability to it about 6 months, by which time the bedtime routine will be established so you won't need it anyway.
I think some vague loose routine is a good idea. afterall kids like familiarity, and it gives you something to work to and keeps you sane. I know my julie really appreciated (well, still does, but especially so in the early days) the few hours between his bedtime at 7 and when we knock off. means you've always got some time together to yourselves to sit down, cook your tea, sort things out and unwind etc. I think she would have gone (more) mental without this.
solids: after 6 months the subject of weaning rears its head. we went for the baby-lead "fuck pruees" approach. seems to be working a treat. check it the fuck out. (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-led-Weaning-Helping-Your-Baby/dp/0091923808)
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One thing I'd say is that the child rearing publishing industry is, if you ask me, 90% wank and bullshit, 9% common sense and 1% insight. If you agree with the other 1% it might be considered value for money but I don't.
I would however second the idea of loose routine being the way forward, i.e. mummy comes in from work, she plays / reads, then it's dinner bath night then milk, stories and sleep. The exact timing isn't as important as the sequence.
The other advice I'd give is don't listen to the competitive parenting league wankers, most of the time they're talking shite and bullshitting. A mate's wife was saying their second was sleeping through from 5 weeks, when I saw him in the pub he confirmed that the child was lucky to sleep through both halves of a game of football.
Walking at 6 months, reading at a year, toilet trained by 18 months etc, it's all a load of lies.
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Ours was however genuinely sleeping through at 5 weeks........CHECKMETHEFUCKOUT.
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Where as I was lying about both of mine sleeping through at 12 weeks to compemsate for being shit at climbing ;) to back up what's been said the order of the routine seems to be what matters not the exact timing.
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Ours was however genuinely sleeping through at 5 weeks........CHECKMETHEFUCKOUT.
Some will, I'm told but they're in a very small minority, the thing is, and I'm sure you won't disagree some parents seem to feel the need to lie about things, why? No one thinks you're a bad parent if your 6 week old wants a feed at 3am!
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Feel a bit weird consistantly agreeing with sloper, but have generally found during these first 14 months that:
Gina Ford mainly exists to make my missus feel inferior
Rather than Logan (the baby) needing to be ready to move on to the next thing (sleeping through etc) its Sam (the missus)
Every experience is different and every parent seems gagging to pass on their experience as gospel.
I'm doing a talk at Llamff vaguely around this subject..
its currently titled "The Daddy Club- How to have an epic and still be back for bathtime"
I can gaurantee it will free of any usefull advice...
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shit the bed...
for the second time in my life...
Slopes is like sooo way on the money.
god damn that feels so rite, and yet soo wrong.
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Walking at 6 months, reading at a year, toilet trained by 18 months etc, it's all a load of lies.
Oh dear - is your child not doing that then? Never mind, you'll love it anyway......
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I'm sure I mentioned it somewhere before, but the Competitive Parents could all post up on a web site similar to 8a.nu. Gaining points for when their child achieves various developmental "goals". That way they won't feel quite the same need to spray at the rest of us. They could even get t-shirts with the scores of their children on and could have tedious discussions about progress chart conversions. Could call it 99thpercentile.nu or some such bollocks.
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Good idea, I wonder how they'd convert reading in say a latinate language to one with a cyrillic script or character based language. :lol:
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I'm sure I mentioned it somewhere before, but the Competitive Parents could all post up on a web site similar to 8a.nu. Gaining points for when their child achieves various developmental "goals". That way they won't feel quite the same need to spray at the rest of us. They could even get t-shirts with the scores of their children on and could have tedious discussions about progress chart conversions. Could call it 99thpercentile.nu or some such bollocks.
cool. I intend to score more on quantity than quality 8)
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Well I had the first guzzle down milk then throw it all up when winding episode yesterday, catching most of it neatly in my palm. Hadn't happened before or since, but any suggestions for preventing it?
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none, it won't be the first or last time it happens
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Apart from this time, which was the first, and the last time, which will be the last :)
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Well I had the first guzzle down milk then throw it all up when winding episode yesterday, catching most of it neatly in my palm.
I had that the other week, but delete "palm" and replace with "mouth".
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Well I had the first guzzle down milk then throw it all up when winding episode yesterday, catching most of it neatly in my palm. Hadn't happened before or since, but any suggestions for preventing it?
Put a cloth over your hand.
If it's a significant problem, then stop half way through and wind, then finish off the feed and wind. Although junior won't be too impressed at having dinner whipped away.
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always put a soft bib on if your bottle feeding them, easy to mop up any dribbles with and have a muslim on hand for any major back-fires.
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and have a muslim on hand for any major back-fires.
Is it important to have Islamic assistance when feeding? I didn't know this...
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no I meant the guy out of temple of doom.
oh no shiveye, oh no shiveye
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and have a muslim on hand for any major back-fires.
Is it important to have Islamic assistance when feeding? I didn't know this...
Indeed, the burqua has excellent absorbant properties.
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Top tip for changing a baby boys' nappy ..... Always keep a plastic cup on standby .....
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best advice yet!
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Still doing fine on the screech front ...
... but my back is going: serious trigger pointage w/ all the babe-cradling. :(
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Mate has just incapacitated himself with all the baby rocking. I was getting sore back from baby changing table but now take a sideways on approach. Also gets you out the firing line when he does his Mannikin Pis impression.
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Yeah, changing times are dangerous here: you have to beware of the occasional 1m arc of bilious milky squit that gets shot w/ little warning when the nappy is off ...
She's yet to rack up a headshot tho ...
[/touches wood]
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Have we seen a picture of your wee one yet, Houdini? :-\
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Have we seen a picture of your wee one yet, Houdini? :-\
Once he gets a lens with some decent magnification, you may get your wish Magpie :o
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Have we seen a picture of your wee one yet, Houdini? :-\
No need, all babies look the same anyway :P
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Have we seen a picture of your wee one yet, Houdini? :-\
http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,13217.0.html (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,13217.0.html)
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All babies DO NOT look the same, Slackers. :P
Oh, look at her! I missed the thread cause I was away, isn't she perfect?! :hug:
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All babies DO NOT look the same, Slackers. :P
True - some look like Winston Churchill, others look like William Hague.
Apart from Kyle, who has inherited his Dad's manly good looks.
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ludo is a cross between churchill and
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40961000/jpg/_40961945_faceofboe300.jpg) especially when pooing/farting/building up for a loud screech
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pooing farting and building up for a good screech... my god he is his fathers son!
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ludo is a cross between churchill and
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40961000/jpg/_40961945_faceofboe300.jpg) especially when pooing/farting/building up for a loud screech
Got his father's looks then :lol:
Congrats by the way! I'm generally up for baby/ dog walking if your good lady fancies it.
Lu :hug:
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cheers lucy, more likely to be me the househusband doing the baby walking with the nil results from my job hunting at the moment
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Hope something turns up soon! Just changed nappy and got peed on again. I think he's getting cunning now and does it as soon as I look awy for a second.
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aaahhh yes, our carpet has already had a lot of stick. The key is to try and keep the new nappy/clothes/ own clothes, furniture out of the line of fire!
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Just changed nappy and got peed on again.
Loosening the nappy seems to make them wee. Best thing to do is undo nappy fastening then lift and then place back the nappy front straight away. That should usually catch it. Also if changeing little boys nappies, make sure you do this with a closed mouth :lol:
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Just changed nappy and got peed on again.
Also if changeing little boys nappies, make sure you do this with a closed mouth :lol:
:o Naughty Thomas!
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Loosening the nappy seems to make them wee. Best thing to do is undo nappy fastening then lift and then place back the nappy front straight away. That should usually catch it. Also if changeing little boys nappies, make sure you do this with a closed mouth :lol:
Apparently it's the cold air. Was instantaneous initially, but he now leaves it for a few minutes until all cleaning work is done, and then releases when it's least expected, often all over his own feet. Maybe he's destined to be a rugby player (the horror) and is developing a taste for bleating.
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Anyone have any experience of this?
http://www.cranial.org.uk/page3.html (http://www.cranial.org.uk/page3.html)
I am somewhat suspicious in that it claims to cure just about all ailments common in infants, and unconvinced that rubbing their head is going to help relieve any pressure other than pressure caused by readies on your wallet.
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http://www.badscience.net/2004/09/cranial-osteopathy/ (http://www.badscience.net/2004/09/cranial-osteopathy/)
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Quite clearly utter bollocks, but heh no more so than homeopathy.
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I know a cranial osteopathist, and know of children helped positively by cranial osteopathy. Comparison w/ homeopathy is crass.
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yet accurate.
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I could find out about it for you, if you are really interested? There is loads of stuff about it on another forum (with baby section) I use, with links etc. From memory people are divided on using it on babies, some say it worked wonders others are not so keen and there are quite a lot of people concerned about injury from it being done wrongly, it's the sort of thing that can do a lot of harm if the person practicing it doesn't know what you are doing, especially on wee ones, apparently, obviously this is all second hand info from other people I have spoken with about it.
It's also meant to be really good for dentistry stuff, which is :off: for this thread but interesting.
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It's utter, utter, utter bollocks and people that believe in it an use it are either self deluded or terminally mis-informed.
Placebo at best, serious risk of brain injury at worst; probably relatively harmless but why run the risk.
Nothing is so stupid that you won't find someone who believes in it.
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Top tip for changing a baby boys' nappy ..... Always keep a plastic cup on standby .....
Just changed nappy and got peed on again.
Loosening the nappy seems to make them wee. Best thing to do is undo nappy fastening then lift and then place back the nappy front straight away. That should usually catch it. Also if changeing little boys nappies, make sure you do this with a closed mouth :lol:
I did try to help ...... ::)
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baby massage is good, there will probably be a local clinic thing you can go to for free and be shown how.
cranial osteopathy is obviously bollocks
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baby massage is good
He's right, you know. Legs and arms when they are tiny; with a bit of gentle tummy rubbing in a clockwise direction.
Once they can sit up on their own they love a gentle shoulder/neck/back massage. Polly gets an amusing tranced out smile on her face when I do her upper back and shoulders in the evening.
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Just what ever you do don't rub anti clockwise, it disturbs their chakra and generally misaligns karmic energy which can lead ot all sorts of things, like voting Tory and not believing in all this alt therapy BS.
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Nothing is so stupid that you won't find someone who believes in it.
So speaketh the tory
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Indeed, now then sweetie, good job you're not in the profit making business eh? :-*
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Nonsense, you know that Graeme drinks like an Earl.
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Baby massage is great, especially for being able to devote time to the kid and connect with them more. Skin to skin contact and all that.
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Back-scratching works for me. 10 minutes before bed-time get the old back-scratcher out and give it some "up a bit, left a bit" action. They'll soon get the hang of it. You can do it to them too I guess....
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Just what ever you do don't rub anti clockwise, it disturbs their chakra and generally misaligns karmic energy which can lead ot all sorts of things, like voting Tory and not believing in all this alt therapy BS.
Actually I think that clockwise is the direction of passage through the digestive tract, if you do it anticlockwise you are interrupting the flow and can cause indigestion and irritability, which I guess could cause anyone to vote tory. or go insane. same thing.
Have been doing a bit of massage at the moment and he loves it if you choose the right time to do it.
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sory dude travel of food is like all over the place..not unidrectional from the outside rubbing in.. the gut is folded over you see (33ft in an adult)
more importantly...whatever works best!
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I got told that the the last bit of your food-to-poo pipe goes clockwise around the rest of it . Have I been lied to by an alternative healer?
Confused-about-the-large-intestine from Heeley
edit
it does in Lara Croft's body; look
(http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/organs-outside-body-3.jpg)
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Swot i thought too largers. Was told large intestine is the only bit that is large enough to have any effect on when massaging, but am happy to take our resident trained medical professional's word on it.
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Or even fatdoc's.
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er.. cheers.
yep. that's what it looks like.. as a model. yep the stuff basically passes through clockwise.. but the abdomen it a 3D structure... so it travels all over the show. there are few points that are more tethered, start of descending Colon in particular, the order of layers stays as is the model, but i all kind swirls about a bit really...
in other words, bollocks to rubbing in one direction... but as above, whatever works! ;D
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Bulk buying disposable nappies?
Beta please.
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We started off with real ones and they really didn't work so went onto disposables.
I found that the regular deals in Tesco worked out cheaper than the cash and carry. I did find nappies in france to be outrageously expensive.
How much are you paying?
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In UK or Deutshland? Apparently you can get them dirt cheap at cash and carry, but we just bulk buy in sales when there is a "baby event" on at one of the supermarket. Think there's one on at ASDA at the moment.
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I looked at Macro and Costco and they were more expensive than when compared with the continual offers at supermarkets.
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In UK or Deutshland? Apparently you can get them dirt cheap at cash and carry, but we just bulk buy in sales when there is a "baby event" on at one of the supermarket. Think there's one on at ASDA at the moment.
there is one at asda at the mo word. Definitley worth keeping em peeled for who's got offers on. Often compete with cash and carry prices.
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In UK or Deutshland? Apparently you can get them dirt cheap at cash and carry, but we just bulk buy in sales when there is a "baby event" on at one of the supermarket. Think there's one on at ASDA at the moment.
there is one at asda at the mo word. Definitley worth keeping em peeled for who's got offers on. Often compete with cash and carry prices.
spirit of nature will fit the bill from a environment and convenience balence aspect. Online.. Buy tons at a time
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Oh in Germany of course, but I wondered whether there was any good internet sources.
We're doing supermarket sweeps as & when they occur.
Currently pay €5 for 27 newborn pampers (down from €5.50).
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We're doing supermarket sweeps as & when they occur.
That's what we used to do. Supermarkets and Boots often have 3 for 2 offers on, just stock up when they happen.
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Spirit of nature offer 28 for 6 pounds. Not so great, unless they have great bulk deals and post to DE.
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That sounds like a lot, from a quick whiz 100 size 2 newborn buggies are about £12 (11 Euro) at tesco.
I'd fuck off the organic envirornmentally friendly ones they're just a way of fleecing idiots. Organic cotton, 'cough you're not eating it your kid is shitting in it. Cotton fucks the environment so much a bit of fertiliser and so on is probably better for the environemnt than organic.
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What's all this - Mum's net.com or something. A bunch of boulderers discussing nappy prices. Can't wait to join the debate in May.
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Best start drinking now then fat kid, believe me for a while this is as good as it gets.
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That sounds like a lot, from a quick whiz 100 size 2 newborn buggies are about £12 (11 Euro) at tesco.
I'd fuck off the organic envirornmentally friendly ones they're just a way of fleecing idiots. Organic cotton, 'cough you're not eating it your kid is shitting in it. Cotton fucks the environment so much a bit of fertiliser and so on is probably better for the environemnt than organic.
no that's bollocks.
these bambo nature ones have a waaayyy better absorbancy.
trust Mrs fatdoc.. she's been buying this shite for over a decade. unit price needs to have length of action factored in. This is a subject that I really do have the knowledge in.
Houdini - I'm sure you can source in DE.
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Sorry, but I have to differ with you on that one; in my experience the bamboo ones and the other expensive look at me I'm a liberal middle class dad with a fat wallet nappies tm had a much shorter effective use period than Huggies.
Although we have a much smaller sample size.
We'd use about 6 per day, how many super eco shit catchers did you use?
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mine, esp the boys, piss out of the side of huggies, though they are soft and if you leave them in their excreta that bit too long then they dont lose all their skin... so yep - pretty good but not the ones for my household.
have to say - this is gonna be like rockboots fit... one type does not fit all.
we have yet to discuss barrier creams vs. skin moisturisers...
metanium... sudocrem.. and of course the crem de al crem Kamilosan ( not just for cracked nipples.. bees wax base is wkd.. good for those MTB / roadie induced groin skin splits an all).
also... climb on has a healing balm role here...
jesus... I need to start a new forum.
Mods... new section plz???
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Indeed, I just get really fucked off by the bollocks advertising that organic cotton for nappies is in any way different from non-organic.
Mind fucking pseudo environmetal cock munching shit fest of an advertising wank stain.
If you're that fucking bothered about things don't buy ready made baby food you fucktarded hypocrites.
(I wear a gag in waitrose, it's a condition of my asbo)
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This bulk lark: seems one can get 340 for 15c each plus postage as opposed to 22c for the packs of 30. So bulk doesn't seem to be the way.
Found another brand offering 42 for €5, will try these out, no p&p etc.. The Reich is not so good for bulk supermarket buys, or so it seems so far.
As for butt creme, we buy Weleda, because it's organic and we can use it too. Organic is important when it comes to unguents, I think. Beats Nivea dreck, what? There's a reason why mosquito's hate it.
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fair go on the organic cotton, I'm coming from a functionality perspective / though the mrs is into that sort of thing.. again with common sense
as for waitrose - i've just never been.. seems the less stressful option.
sooo agree on the baby food. except for the yogurty ones that are a boon to keep them out at the crag an hour longer.
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We've found the nappies from Lidl (Toujours) to be great and cheap. You have Lidl over there Houdini, nicht war?
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Natürlich: Deutsche firma, innit.
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well then, get yo ass down there and find out if their nappies fit your princess (they might not let you try this in store)
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don't buy too many tho, its suprising how quickly they go through the sizes.
we tried aldi, sainsburys and a few other own brand and they aren't as good as the pampers or huggies. we just buy them when they are on offer at the local supermarket which seems to be most of the time
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Conversely we found Pampers and Huggies to be rubbish, they consistently leaked and seemed to cause sore skin, whereas the Tesco and Morrison standard own brand ones were ideal.
Nappies is a definite horses courses thing, as is pretty much all of child rearing I suppose...
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don't buy too many tho, its suprising how quickly they go through the sizes.
We've done that, debating wether to bust out another megapack or try and swap them for a larger size.
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keep the size smallest that fits.. less leaks..
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That was my theory, plus the smaller ones are (marginally) cheaper.
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Has anyone contemplated child based resistance training? Do beastmaker workouts with nipper in baby carrier so it gets harder as they get older. By the time he's 2 I'd be a beast. Or have no more clothes without puke stains.
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I've tried doing repeaters while giving my 5 year old lad a piggy back. It's fookin desperate :o
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Lidl don't sell newborn nappies :(
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Fuck you lot, my life turned into an episode of Skins over the weekend: one 16th birthday, 35 pissed teenagers, 5 hours of screaming mayhem and one filth encrusted house.
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5 hours of screaming mayhem and one filth encrusted house.
So the Police turned up as well ::)
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Fuck you lot, my life turned into an episode of Skins over the weekend: one 16th birthday, 35 pissed teenagers, 5 hours of screaming mayhem and one filth encrusted house.
and where was our invite :shrug: ?
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How cool kids are travelling this year. $2K to spare?
http://www.kidkustoms.com/MODLES.html (http://www.kidkustoms.com/MODLES.html)
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don't let anyone round who's got a cold/cough etc.... or you could end up spending the week in hospital watching over a baby with bronculitus. Its not great
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Doesn't sound nice or fun. Will work for him/her in the future though (acquired immunity etc.).
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Not good Jim, hope s/he is OK. Got a bit anal about this, sadly missed opportunity to see HK Stu when he was over due to him bringing some wierd asian bug with him that struck most of his famly.
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Just clocked this and thought it might be useful to some :P
(http://i.imgur.com/h6IXl.jpg)
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in my sleep derived state that made me really laugh.
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Any advice for early teething? Apart from Bonjela, Calpol and ear plugs? He's not even 11 weeks, were hoping for a break.
Also are the Bumbo seats any good?
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It might be worth alternating between calpol and an ibuprofen based medicine so you can have doses every 2 hours rather than every 4
I know that's only pain relief and its stating the bleedin obvious and of course you'd have to check the doses, but it might give some respite. In my experience (3 kids) I'm afraid I haven't found any magic formulas to ease teething
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Teething powders (Boots own brand) offer some relief. No idea what's in them, but it seems to make babies a bit happier - I guess its hard to keep crying when your mouth is full of dry powdery crap.
It doesn't last for ever, although it does feel like forever.
(my two have been late teethers, thank fuck)
We borrowed a Bumbo. It was good for the larger child to play with the baby on the floor (9 years difference). Some people love them, but we didn't use it much. Having watched the neighbours kid playing in theirs I reckon its worth a go to see if you are a Bumbo family.
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I think ibuprofen can only be used from 3 months plus, will look into this dry powdered crap.
Cheers.
Might go into mothercare and testdrive him in a Bumbo when he's a bit older.
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I think ibuprofen can only be used from 3 months plus
11 weeks is near enough :shrug: (I am not a doctor)
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The boots teething powder seemed to be the best thing for my two - although it could have been the platinum fibre placibo effect.
One of mine used the bumbo seat loads, whereas my youngest didn't at all. Give it a test drive in the shop.
Good luck Rich
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I think ibuprofen can only be used from 3 months plus
11 weeks is near enough :shrug: (I am not a doctor)
Hmm, couple of weeks isn't much but to him its 15% of his life, nearabouts. Might hold back for a while.
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Any advice for early teething? Apart from Bonjela, Calpol and ear plugs? He's not even 11 weeks, were hoping for a break.
Also are the Bumbo seats any good?
Chilled cucumber is good as the cooling works as topical pain relief and it's a good texture / solidity to help them cut through.
As for gel, we found that the best one was dentinox.
I think calpol is pretty tight on the age limit, but if in real need I'd say go for 1.25 ml. You can get small syringes which make dosing a real doddle.
Ignore the tooth powders, the chances are they're placebo, go for the cuecumber.
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Cheers Sloper. Re the cucumber is he supposed to to just suck it, or feed it to him??
We got one of the syringes and apparently he is OK for calpol at this age.
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I think he's too young to be sticking bits of food in his mouth.
Ours had calpol when he was 7 weeks when he was in hospital.
Never had any real problems when teething.
Bumbo's are great - just go out and buy one, real handy when they start weaning as well and they love sitting in them so they can look around
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Cheers Sloper. Re the cucumber is he supposed to to just suck it, or feed it to him??
We got one of the syringes and apparently he is OK for calpol at this age.
Suck / chew on it, a 5mm slice seemed to work with Hugo and it's far too big for him to swallow and too thick to bite off chunks. Probably best under supervision.
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When our little one had his first batch of jabs at 2 months, the nurse said it was ok to give him a half dose (1.25ml) of Calpol. Second Sloper's suggestion of getting a syringe - much easier for measuring and dosing than a spoon.
We got the herbal teething powders and I'm not sure they did much good. Anbesol is the best gel (the baby version, not the adult one!) but it tastes of cloves, so is a bit powerful. Try them on yourself and see - Anbesol actually numbs your gums, Dentinox doesn't.
Can't comment on the bumbo seats - we had a bouncy chair thing that he loved (particularly when he discovered it wiggled when he did). We also used a couple of those big V-shaped pillows to support him when he was getting to the sitting up stage - worked nicely to cushion the inevitable tumbles!
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Yep, he is OK on Calpol and we have a syringe.
Got a couple of V pillows, rowie found them good for sleeping comfortably when she was heavy with child, and they are used for feeding now. Certain getting use if good for sitting up training too!
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I think ibuprofen can only be used from 3 months plus, will look into this dry powdered crap.
That's right it's not licensed in under 3 months or under 5Kg weight - although it does get used out side this in hospital.
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Anyone got any good toys suggestions for an attentive 3 month old. grandparents seem intent in filling our house with large noisy battery operated things he things he shows very little interest in.
best buys so far;
Fisher Price Rainforest cot mobile - keeps him running on the spot with happiness for at least half an hour every morning. Mispriced at half RRP in tesco.
Mirrored soft toy above changing mat - about £2 and still fascinates him and distracts him so he doesnt wriggle and get shit everywhere.
Plastic hoop with some rattly bits on it that he loves to shake forever. About £1.
Wrist / Ankle rattles are a complete waste of time btw. He seems oblivious to their existence.
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Good natured labrador :thumbsup:
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We used a good natured collie but the principle is much the same I imagine.
Dylan loved anything he could pile up (that's not to say he piled up dogs).
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Would love to get a dog (probably a border terrier) but not ideal once we are both back at work and the nipper is in nursery.
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Would love to get a dog (probably a border terrier) but not ideal once we are both back at work and the nipper is in nursery.
We want a dog - but have the same issues.
May be UkB dog share.
Apparently dog walking services cost £120 plus / week for 3-4 days/week!!
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maracas and a drum where some of the early toys, then the brick trolley and trike after that
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Got some small bacardi maraccas lying about that were a promtional gieveaway. A good start on 2 counts.
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May be UkB dog share.
Apparently dog walking services cost £120 plus / week for 3-4 days/week!!
Bit if a commute for the poor dog! I sometimes think I should be stay at home dad and start up a dog walking business.
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M had a bouncy chair with a hoop thing over that had little toys that played tunes that he could bash about. He liked that when he was about 3 months. A bit later on he liked stacking cups - particularly if you stacked them up then let him knock them down. Later on he started stacking them himself, but the novelty of destruction still hasn't worn off completely.
Remember you can make things - get a couple of small plastic bottles and fill one with rice and one with chickpeas - let him learn how they make different noises while sounding the same. Another good one is to part fill with water and put some glitter in. Make sure you tape the tops up properly though.
Also make sure you try and destroy anything before giving it to him - babies are amazingly good at getting into things that they shouldn't!
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stacking cups are a well good toy. cost less than fuck all as well.
2 year old is well into her duplo now. proper psyched for it
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M had a bouncy chair with a hoop thing over that had little toys that played tunes that he could bash about.
You mean one of the ones that hang from a doorframe?
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You mean one of the ones that hang from a doorframe?
Those are great, lots of wee ones love them cause it lets them feel their feet. Avoid after eating though, or it can get really messy. ;)
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(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs404.snc3/24509_380324681524_681296524_4238312_6035918_n.jpg)
Sometimes a raincoat is more appropriate than a square of muslin.
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Look how big he's got?! He's a proper wee man! :thumbsup:
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13 lbs 9 oz yesterday, and tall like dad (well not as tall yet, obviously).
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Any advice for early teething? Apart from Bonjela, Calpol and ear plugs? He's not even 11 weeks, were hoping for a break.
Also are the Bumbo seats any good?
Chilled cucumber is good as the cooling works as topical pain relief and it's a good texture / solidity to help them cut through.
As for gel, we found that the best one was dentinox.
I think calpol is pretty tight on the age limit, but if in real need I'd say go for 1.25 ml. You can get small syringes which make dosing a real doddle.
Ignore the tooth powders, the chances are they're placebo, go for the cuecumber.
Mrs Fatdoc has just read this.. and as a dad that sleeps through the vast majority of night time horrors...
I suggest they may well be of use - we have experience by volume!
camomile based ones from any supermarket.. or Lloyds chemist..
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Clarity fatdoc! You referring to the tooth powder? And recommend a calmomile baed one?
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C'com Mrs Fatdoc......
OH yes!!
( sorry, in gite of celebration from the day in font....)
It's
NELSONS
teetha powders..
I dont care what the evidence base is - we have 4.. they just work!!
you must rub them in..
;D
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Err are these the homeopathic ones with added placebo? :oops:
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We used Nelsons also. T'was bon, comes in little paper wrappers very old skool.
I don't think it's homeopathic but I believe it is herbal.
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We tried teething powders, not sure which, and they didn't seem to work for ours. Although Blob 1 had all her teeth by about 9 months anyway so teething didn't last long. We stuck to paracetmaol/ibuprofen.
And don't forget Nelson's contain lactose. And it's scientifically proven to be homeopathic, Nik.
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homeopathic ones with added placebo?
Foolish babies, always falling for the old placebo trick! ::) ;)
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who gives a shit for the randomised, two arm controlled trial at 3 in the morning..
opinion was sought, and given.
I'm telling you this shit works.
word.
:wave:
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homeopathic ones with added placebo?
Foolish babies, always falling for the old placebo trick! ::) ;)
It's more that if the person giving the treatment thinks its going to work, their behaviour can influence the patient - this s why proper trials are "double blind" so that neither the preconceived ideas of the patient or the person administering can change the result (i think)
However, if it's to calm babies, then bring it on. Anything that works is good.
Also, on a slightly different note, I'd like to remind all parents to keep the boxes. They often provide more entertainment than the contents. My two offspring have spent the past few weeks taking turns to sleep inside a large flatpack sofa box. Adorable and mental at the same time.
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Anyone else's nippers snub purees and spoonfeeding? K hates both and went straight to trying to feed himself. Makes life a lot easier, but a lot messier.
Any advice on how to stop him either
a) smacking the spoon on the feeding tray as soon as he has any food in it so it sprays the general area or
b) smacking any food on the feeding tray to a pulp before trying to eat it.
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'Baby-led weaning' = plastic sheeting, lots of it. It's messy round our house at meal times these days. What particularly frustrates me is that she will refuse food from my hand - but if she picks it up herself will scoff it happily. Bossy little so-and-so. >:(
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Well our 3 have been different in this regard but a few things seem to make a difference.
Its makes a big difference if they're a) hungry but not too hungry/tired b) love the food they're about to eat - so varying times might change something ?
For the 2 girls, not making a fuss when they bashed, but just taking the food away seemed to work (not all the time but enough to make a difference) whereas it didn't make any difference to my son.
I think how easy it is to chew makes a difference, as our youngest won't make any effort to chew anything, despite having plenty of teeth. I think she just thinks its too much effort - even though she's prepared to bash away for ages. As long as isn't then rewarded by getting milk so she doesn't go hungry she'll reluctantly start chewing a little more if we don't appear to be looking. I don't know if its worth experimenting with foods of different chewiness to see if that makes a difference to the bashing to a pulp thing ?
I know there's nothing particularly earth shattering in what I've written Chris, but might be worth a try
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Cant offer anything here as Ludo took to feeding pretty well. Puree's were no problem, still not really into lumps though! Ang has found it easier to introduce new stuff, lumpier food/new tastes at lunchtime rather than teatime when he can be moody/tired and refuse to eat new stuff. Have to say he is abit like his dad, greedy!
Roasted sweet potato goes down a storm!
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Roasted sweet potato goes down a storm!
That goes down a storm in ours as well. Except with me, where it comes back with a gush. Foul slimy crap, yuck.
Chris, banging of utensils isn't easily solved and you may be better covering the floor. The other option is to say "no" and if they continue take it all away. Takes a bit of learning though. Depends how much your Persian rug cost you.
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Sounds common then.
We have given up on the plastic sheeting (too much hassle to clean) and just use newspaper, which then goes in the recycling. Usually time meals to about an hour after a milk feed, so he is hungry but not beating down the door. Definitely eats more at lunch than breakfast or dinner though.
He seems to go for the chewier the better option and if it's something he really likes he will eat out of my hand if it's too tricky to pick up, just doesn't like the spoon being put in his mouth.
Anything that needs spooning we go for the two spoon method, one for him to play with, and one to feed him with. Every time he opens his mouth to bit his spoon some food goes in. Probably cheating but seems to work, esp with yoghurt and cauliflower cheese (a firm favourite).
Steamed sweet potato sticks go down a storm, along with steamed swede (ew), parsnip, and baby corn. Sticks of cheddar go down well, but are avoided just before bed! Pasta twists with a bit of sauce on go down well too.
Fruit, mango seems to be tops, as well as pear and tangerine segments. Papaya was popular a week ago, but seems to get snubbed now.
And nappy changing is no longer a doddle. That's not baby shit anymore!
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Any advice on how to stop him either
a) smacking the spoon on the feeding tray as soon as he has any food in it so it sprays the general area or
b) smacking any food on the feeding tray to a pulp before trying to eat it.
Polly was less inclined to chuck food or smash it if there is less in front of her. No idea why. Just one or two mouthfulls/handfulls in front of her at a time. She is now much better at having a proper platefull in front of her.
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'Baby-led weaning' = plastic sheeting, lots of it. It's messy round our house at meal times these days. What particularly frustrates me is that she will refuse food from my hand - but if she picks it up herself will scoff it happily. Bossy little so-and-so. >:(
Some mates of ours who are paediatric trainees and our doing the baby led weaning thing & it's pretty cool to watch.
http://babyledweaning.com/ (http://babyledweaning.com/)
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Thanks for the link. Will be looking into that some more.
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There was a free condensed version of the book free with one of the recent mags.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41vmc-1cNcL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
We are kind of doing it, but not following it to the letter; ie always let them pick up their own food, never try and put a spoon in their mouth etc. Also one of the key things they recommend is that the baby sits at the table with you and watches you eat, which is impossible for us due to time getting home from work.
Apparently people were concerned about increase in gagging and choking due to introducing more solid foods sooner.
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cxbnnnnnn nlk;;;;;;;;;;;m.///''''''''oopok,ldf$eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeex
,.[]p;p[;'''''lllllllllllllllll, mn'
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999olp;''''''''''9o''dcxcvbK/LKMM KL454444444444edo/cv
Kyle's first ukb post
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makes more sense than the significant repeats thread currently does. :wave:
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And more sense than most of the bollocks I post. He was happily smacking the keyboard while I was trying to type something, guess he thought he wanted to have his say.
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cxbnnnnnn nlk;;;;;;;;;;;m.///''''''''oopok,ldf$eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeex
,.[]p;p[;'''''lllllllllllllllll, mn'
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999olp;''''''''''9o''dcxcvbK/LKMM KL454444444444edo/cv
Kyle's first ukb post
Tsk, tsk, and posting from someone else's account.
Get him registered, he'll be the youngest forum member. :P
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Just to re-instate this thread. I am now an official member of the dad club and will be in the Peak next for a holiday en famille, staying near Bakewell.
Plan plenty of solo bouldering outings but wanted to know any good recommendations for buggy friendly walks that aren't too tame (have the P&T model mentioned above so doesn't need to be smooth tarmac..) - ideally with a decent baby friendly pub at some point along the way..
I guess I can wheel the buggy along to trackside.. most others might be a hassle
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Congratulations! :thumbsup:
We always favoured the sling over the buggy to get to any climbing areas, as you say trackside is about the only accessible place.
I think there are a couple of books you can get with buggy-friendly walks in the Peak; it's probably worth trying to get hold of one of these so you don't end up faced with awkward stiles and stuff when you think you're going on a buggy-friendly path!
Enjoy.
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Nice one ben.
Announcements page is here http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,8014.125.html (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,8014.125.html)
Unless you don't believe s/he (what flavour anyway?) has wad potential?
Have you started shaping a grom board yet?
When are you heading peakward? Interested to hear about child friendly accomodation in the area, as we plan doing similar late winter / early spring.
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Have you started shaping a grom board yet?
When are you heading peakward? Interested to hear about child friendly accomodation in the area, as we plan doing similar late winter / early spring.
missed the word week out of my post, going next week, just in time for rain/cold/snow by the sounds of it. We're staying in a self catering cottage in Ashford-in-the-Water, will let you know how child friendly it is.
no grom board yet, but he does have a wetsuit!
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Congratulations :thumbsup:
I guess I can wheel the buggy along to trackside..
I have been known to take the travel cot to Trackside and Rubicon to keep the little one safe and cleanish
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Posting from the phone so be gentle on any typos, my daughter is com :whistle:i :whistle:ng up for two and regularly walks the pooch with us. Any ideas on good outdoor clothing as the weather change ?
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Loads of good stuff on littletrekkers.co.uk.
Got a Spotty Otter down suit and a fleece suit on sale.
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1209.snc4/156123_468276191086_689146086_6247631_1458916_n.jpg)
Kyle is sled head mode yesterday.
Looks like the suits are out of sale stock, but seperates still there
http://www.littletrekkers.co.uk/shop/index.php/browse/cd5dedcc770e8e057f5ee6b7a29daf73 (http://www.littletrekkers.co.uk/shop/index.php/browse/cd5dedcc770e8e057f5ee6b7a29daf73)
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Top photo. :)
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Ni :great: just ordered some bits from there top advice.
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We tried teething powders, not sure which, and they didn't seem to work for ours. Although Blob 1 had all her teeth by about 9 months anyway so teething didn't last long. We stuck to paracetmaol/ibuprofen.
And don't forget Nelson's contain lactose. And it's scientifically proven to be homeopathic, Nik.
We use Ashton and Parsons for Jr T - paracetmaol/ibuprofen for the pain/teething related raised temp'
But to calm him down and chill him out the powders are great - also the only way he'll let either of us have a feel around in the back of his mouth for more teeth....
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Top photo. :)
Cheers. He wasn't smiling when we stopped in the park and he rolled out the sledge and got a facefull.
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When are you heading peakward? Interested to hear about child friendly accomodation in the area, as we plan doing similar late winter / early spring.
Chris - had a fantastic week in the Peak, escaping just as the snow fell last saturday.
Some nice sessions at curbar/burbage, but best day was friday with newstones/baldstones to myself in lovely cold crisp conditions but with some sunshine to keep warm enough (ripple - what a great problem).
buggy bouldering - took the buggy to trackside and out to the eagle stone which both worked fine.
the place we stayed was really nice, luxurious, warm and cosy, nice walks out the back door. It was baby friendly (whatever that is), but i'm not really qualified to tell if it was child friendly. It only had one double room so i guess no good for bigger kids. PM me if you want details of it.
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Not sure if this has come up before - but don't buy anything from Anklebitters on Abbeydale Road, Sheffield.
We ordered a high car from them about 8 weeks ago. They told us it would be a week as they had already ordered them so we were just reserving one they already had coming in. It's still not here. We were trying to support local shops - but their customer service is shit.
We also ordered a sleeping bag thing for the pram and they ordered the wrong colour - and that took 6 weeks.
What's really frustrating is that we could have got it off the net and had it weeks ago, as Kiddiecare have it in stock.
From the MOther & Baby group my wife goes to this is pretty normal service from them.
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Hitch & Hike in Bamford have some good (Bushbaby) all in one snow suits. Sadly Buffalo have stopped making their kit which is a shame because it was superb.
Horlicks seems to help Hugo go to sleep which is a bonus.
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Kyle in eye of needle mode and puking all day. In hindsight letting him in the ball pool at the local pub and him trying to eat the balls may not have been a good idea. Those things must be bacteria havens.
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I had no idea that three verses of the French National Anthem would send the little one to sleep.
Can reccomend it though! :thumbsup:
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well sleeping on the job is their national sport ;D
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Try anything and go with what works. Kyle liked excerpts from the Nirvana unplugged album.
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Kyle in eye of needle mode and puking all day. In hindsight letting him in the ball pool at the local pub and him trying to eat the balls may not have been a good idea. Those things must be bacteria havens.
too true unfortunately - Jr T had the same reaction after using the soft play area on the ferry on the way to font last time out... :(
Try anything and go with what works. Kyle liked excerpts from the Nirvana unplugged album.
It's odd what they end up liking, Jr T had a thing for Rob Zombie and Underworld for a while, at almost 2 years old its anything pop-punk that they play on Kerrang radio...
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Mine were both the specials mixed with stone roses - fools gold and waterfall being their favourites. Now however the wife has corrupted them into take that - nightmare
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More a question for the docs than the dads, but seeing as most on here are both..
Kyle has MMR jab booked for this afternoon, but developed conjunctivitis on Tuesday had to stay at home Wednesday and has antibiotic drops from the doc. Eyes seem to have cleared up now, but still on the drops.
Is this any reason to delay him getting the injections? I know it not a good idea to let him have innoculations unless he is healthy? Otherwise he is fine, apart from the usual snotty nose. Are we just being paranoid?
Appreciated that this is just opinion and won't hold anyone to it.
Thanks
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just ring the docs and they will tell you to ring back when be is healthy
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More a question for the docs than the dads, but seeing as most on here are both..
Kyle has MMR jab booked for this afternoon, but developed conjunctivitis on Tuesday had to stay at home Wednesday and has antibiotic drops from the doc. Eyes seem to have cleared up now, but still on the drops.
Is this any reason to delay him getting the injections? I know it not a good idea to let him have innoculations unless he is healthy? Otherwise he is fine, apart from the usual snotty nose. Are we just being paranoid?
Appreciated that this is just opinion and won't hold anyone to it.
Thanks
cold tea bags to wipe the eye clean of crap , repeat until clears up, Ludo had it the other week
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cold tea bags to wipe the eye clean of crap , repeat until clears up, Ludo had it the other week
And he's looking much better for it...
(http://abigailryder.com/bulmer/snatter/Snatter3-06.php_files/labyrinth_ludo.jpg)
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cold tea bags to wipe the eye clean of crap , repeat until clears up, Ludo had it the other week
Cheers FB. Eyes are sorted, was just more concerned about antibiotics / MMR mix.
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I don't know if I'd take the risk while he's on A/B, the MMR can send them a bit funny afterwards anyway and on top of the medication he might feel a bit horrid. Although maybe as they're eye antibiotics it wouldn't matter so much. In short, I have no clue, do you want me to ask on the kids board of my other forum and see what they say?
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No it's all good thanks! If it was oral a/bs we would definitely put it off, but as they are topical (?) it left room for doubt.. I think the homework has been done on other forums already. was just interested in a more pragmatic view :)
I think we are going to err on the side of caution and put it off for a week.
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Cool, for topical ones I would say it would be fine but always better to err on the side of caution with the precious bundles. ;)
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The very vast majority of sticky eyes in infants is NOT conjunctivitis - It's just that: a sticky eye. Usually associated with a viral infection.
So the vast majority of times cleaning with cooled boiled water is the way forwards, or FBSF advice of an old wife's tale.
GPs just give out topical abs just to get people out of their rooms. I only give them out if the conjunctiva is inflamed.
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Try anything and go with what works. Kyle liked excerpts from the Nirvana unplugged album.
Francesca quite likes Techno, particularly German Chris Liebing type stuff although Surgeon seems acceptable. She also seems to like a bit of Progressive House but I've told her I ain't buying any of that stuff, Spotify only I'm afraid. Maybe that's why she just puked 5ozs of milk all down my chest as I was giving her a good night cuddle while Mum's out with the girls tonight.
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More a question for the docs than the dads, but seeing as most on here are both..
Kyle has MMR jab booked for this afternoon, but developed conjunctivitis on Tuesday had to stay at home Wednesday and has antibiotic drops from the doc. Eyes seem to have cleared up now, but still on the drops.
Is this any reason to delay him getting the injections? I know it not a good idea to let him have innoculations unless he is healthy? Otherwise he is fine, apart from the usual snotty nose. Are we just being paranoid?
Appreciated that this is just opinion and won't hold anyone to it.
Thanks
cold tea bags to wipe the eye clean of crap , repeat until clears up, Ludo had it the other week
get in, you have actually listened to mrs FD ( old vet's trick)
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Any tips on how to survive the 4 month growth spurt, i mean, seriously 8 or 9 times a night getting unsettled, it's enough to drive you insane, then wide awake and smiles at half five. I despair, nevermind Mrs rginns !!! :wall:
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Try feed/nappychange/feed? Feed him until he gets a bit dozy and drifting off, then do a nappy change to give him a bit of a wake up (even if you don't need to, cold baby wipe on the bum is enough to wake up anyone) and then feed again before putting back to sleep. Clusterfeed (every 30-45mins) for the few hours before bed to get him right filled up. Or you could try bedtime formula which apparently keeps them filled up a bit longer.
Alternatively it could be a bit more complex and every time the little one half wakes up at the end of a sleep cycle he could have a dependency on being fed before can go back to sleep. You might need to break that association and start teaching him to "self settle".
There's some useful stuff here
http://www.thesleepstore.co.nz/Sleep+Information/Babies+4+to+12+months.html (http://www.thesleepstore.co.nz/Sleep+Information/Babies+4+to+12+months.html)
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cheers
we were waking up then refeeding before, but she started to settle (albeit for only 2 or 3 hours) so we stopped that. Maybe time to start that, and clusterfeeding again too.
Definitely think you could be right on the dependency on a feed at night, she only settles when fed...
Good link too.. think it's the long haul
hmmm.
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TBH waking up hungry 8 or 9 times in the night is highly unlikley even during a growth spurt IMO.
Short term grief might be necessary for long term benefit all round. Like you say - it's a long haul.
Does she sleep with a comfort blanket or similar, or is she sucking thumb to sooth herself? There things are useful for removing yourselves from the equation when it comes to sleep props.
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wean her.
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Going to wean straight onto solids at 6 months so not really an option at present.
I think you're right Chris, its not about the food, more about the comfort, self settling is the longer term answer, although we move house on Thursday so think we'll start that next week!
I like to think its just a phase, but then, everything is at this age isn't it!
Cheers!
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I like to think its just a phase, but then, everything is at this age isn't it!
Good or Bad, everything's just a phase.
We weaned straight to solids at 6 months too, skipped all that applying gloop and mush to his face in the offchance he might actually swallow some of it, really worked for us.
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Ludo weaned at 4+ months as he was starving....go with the flow not the plan!
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I like to think its just a phase, but then, everything is at this age isn't it!
Good or Bad, everything's just a phase.
We weaned straight to solids at 6 months too, skipped all that applying gloop and mush to his face in the offchance he might actually swallow some of it, really worked for us.
Ditto. He's a really good eater now. The baby led weaning shit (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-led-Weaning-Helping-Your-Baby/dp/0091923808) was a winner. Although don't expect miracles overnight, ours was still primarily getting his mojo from milk for several months after starting with solids at the 6month point. FOod is just something to play with and explore at that stage.
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FOod is just something to play with and explore at that stage.
Still have fun experimenting with food today, although I suspect in a different context.
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FOod is just something to play with and explore at that stage.
And make as much mess as possible with.
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FOod is just something to play with and explore at that stage.
Still have fun experimenting with food today, although I suspect in a different context.
Look, what you get up to with a cucumber and a jar of mayo is your own business. Lets leave it as that.
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Going to wean straight onto solids at 6 months so not really an option at present.
I think you're right Chris, its not about the food, more about the comfort, self settling is the longer term answer, although we move house on Thursday so think we'll start that next week!
I like to think its just a phase, but then, everything is at this age isn't it!
Cheers!
why not just get it started then?
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Just start weaning - we had to at 4 months due to a starving boy, who's off the top of the growth charts.
The most recent advice from The College of Child Health supports earlier weaning - although this will change back to 6 I expect in the future.
You can't plan things - and I doubt you'll have a smooth transition straight onto solids.
Our boy has a combination of Baby led stuff and purees. If he baby led himself for all his food he'd be eating all day as he gets distracted / bored - and never meet his calorie needs.
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cheers
we were waking up then refeeding before, but she started to settle (albeit for only 2 or 3 hours) so we stopped that. Maybe time to start that, and clusterfeeding again too.
Definitely think you could be right on the dependency on a feed at night, she only settles when fed...
Good link too.. think it's the long haul
hmmm.
My daughter is a rubbish sleeper. She didn't sleep through until she was about 14 months, and even now (20 months) sleeping through is only about 8-10 hours rather than the recommended 12. For some reason she doesn't want as much sleep as other kids. 2-3 hours was a good stretch for her, and she normally ended up in our bed, just so we got some sleep. In the end we got fed up with being nice to her and got mean. Unfortunately, that meant I had to do all the work as mum meant food. After about 3 days of me putting her back to sleep all through the night, she eventually cracked and started sleeping much better. She hasn't had a night-time feed since. Admittedly, she's older than yours who will probably still want a feed, but I wish that I'd taken the tough approach earlier with mine.
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Mind control!
Psicologia inversa en su estado mas puro (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsBon3DTwIY#)
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¡ De puta madre! Qué gracioso.
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My daughter is a rubbish sleeper. She didn't sleep through until she was about 14 months, and even now (20 months) sleeping through is only about 8-10 hours rather than the recommended 12. For some reason she doesn't want as much sleep as other kids. 2-3 hours was a good stretch for her, and she normally ended up in our bed, just so we got some sleep. In the end we got fed up with being nice to her and got mean. Unfortunately, that meant I had to do all the work as mum meant food. After about 3 days of me putting her back to sleep all through the night, she eventually cracked and started sleeping much better. She hasn't had a night-time feed since. Admittedly, she's older than yours who will probably still want a feed, but I wish that I'd taken the tough approach earlier with mine.
This sleeping totally sounds like ours, still, not ready to get mean yet though,
will probably start on a combination of solids and milk in a month or so, and I'm sure it'll not be straightforward, but I'd rather be mopping food up off the floor rather than spoonfeeding forever and a day. Each to their own I guess... let's not open that can of... :worms:
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http://www.littletrekkers.co.uk/shop/index.php/flypage/10477/cd5dedcc770e8e057f5ee6b7a29daf73 (http://www.littletrekkers.co.uk/shop/index.php/flypage/10477/cd5dedcc770e8e057f5ee6b7a29daf73)
If anyone plans on doing walks with kids in backpacks in colder weather, these are great. Girlie colours only, and not suitable for walking in, but really toasty.
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Thinking of taking the two girls (aged 5 and 2) camping for the first time this weekend. Got the gear even borrowed a big tent. Just wondered if anyone had any recommendations for family friendly campsites within an hour and a half or so from Nottingham/Derby?
Cheers Rich
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I've never had flu vaccines in the past, but thinking about doing it this winter to protect the wee man from getting any illnesses off me. What's the medical pros' view on this? Or is it better to just let nature take it's course?
Oh, and if anyone is looking for something for a 1-2 year old, get a Scuttlebug if you haven't already. He lives on his, robust and packs down flat to fit in suitcase, bouldering mat, etc.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mookie-Scuttlebug-Beetle-Trike-Black/dp/B002KKC6BE (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mookie-Scuttlebug-Beetle-Trike-Black/dp/B002KKC6BE)
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I'm not a medical professional, but....
(http://www.kpkaiser.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/redqueen.jpg)
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The advice is still only for at-risk groups. This doesn't include little ones, unless they fall into the at-risk group, like asthma and so on.
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Yeah, my thoughts too. The only thing he is ever at risk of is drowining in his own snot.
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chances are it will be you catching stuff off wee man.
Didn't know you were involved with all that jack-ass stuff
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What jack-ass stuff?
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(http://www.lat34.com/_/Image/_/wee_billboard_front.jpg)
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Aaah. I getcha.
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http://www.notabaddad.com/ (http://www.notabaddad.com/) /via Falling Down (https://twitter.com/#!/BenTye/status/193244834306342912)
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It's Yossarian's new business.
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I think venture would be a better description! Well, at least till the end of this weekend...
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Engage with your kids and play with them....
(http://i44.tinypic.com/ofqdeh.gif)
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Anyone got any advice on treatment of molluscum? Went to the nurse and she said it will clear up in time but three months down the line it seems to be getting worse
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It's pretty common for them to have it for months, 6 is pretty standard some of them can have it for years as far as I know. Some people say that putting cider vinegar on them helps and I know a lot of people use homeopathic stuff and claim it has great results but I suspect it's more likely they try homeopathic stuff out of desperation after the wee ones have had it for so long and it's just coincidental that it clears up a while after they begin 'treatment'. So basically, what the nurse said, keep it until it gets better. If the sore start to get really itchy and weep then it's worth taking him back but if it's not bothering him too much then I'd just leave him to it.
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Anyone got any advice on treatment of molluscum? Went to the nurse and she said it will clear up in time but three months down the line it seems to be getting worse
oldest child had them under her chin from age 9 for 2 years - couple got infected and caused problems (antibiotics sorted it), but basically told to wait it out
gone now
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Thanks, guess we just need to wait then. Pain as they are mostly underarmpits where he usually getd picked up by, but don't seem to bother him. Just don't want to pass it on to little sister.
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Molluscum is annoying. My daughter had it, but it seemed to clear up of its own accord recently after about 6 months. We sometimes picked off the worst spots just before they looked like they were going to pop (on the advice of a doc as something that might help, but might not). If it's any consolation, she doesn't appear to have passed it on to her little brother, although we did avoid bathing them together, sharing towels etc to try to minimise the risk.
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Agree with the above - break the itch / scatch cycle with anti-histamines if needed. Common sense hygiene advice.
I've seen it take 2-3 years to clear. Usually clears up after 3-6 months.
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Luckily no itching scratching and he seems to keep his hands off them except when he is bare chested. I think the length of time they can have them depends a lot on reinfection so using clean towels etc daily
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pop them. then TCP. if they will let you.
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Both boys got em recently - eldest (6) cleared up after 3 or 4 months - mostly behind his knees - a couple of infected ones where he'd scratched them - but it wasn't them itching - it was his eczema.
Other one (4) has em under his arm - big and ugly - but dont seem to both him a jot. Just waiting for them to clear up of their own accord.
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Don't do this :lol:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7rijmKPBY1qdlh1io1_400.gif)
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fat handed twat!
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Someone videoing someone else taking a photograph of someone else...
Do people not just look at shit and remember it anymore??
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No. You not been to a gig lately?
I recently saw a lengthy video some guy made about doing pullups with a baby strapped to him. Why he didn't just remember doing it is beyond me.
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(http://polyphobia.com/SpaceGhetto/podb116_98.jpg)
Don't say you're never tempted ;)
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Does anyone have any experience of/opinion on kiddie iPad-alikes?
V-Tech make the Innotab (http://www.vtechuk.com/innotab/) (mark 2 to be released later this month) and LeapFrog make the LeapPad2 (http://www.leapfrog.com/leappad2/feature-summary.html).
They are supposed to be iPad toys for 3-9 yr olds, get praise from parents for educational value and have loads of downloadable apps which I suspect will cost a bomb over time.
Any thoughts? (We have a 3 yr old).
Thanks. Jon
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my experience has been that real computers/laptops are better than the toy versions
our 3 year old hasn't found anything better than using a proper computer and the Cbeebies website. She learned more about reading/phonics from the Alphablocks games than from us (and we do a lot of reading - Mrs Starfish sells kids books). She's had a go with the toy versions, but has used them only for pretending to be grown up rather than getting on with anything educational.
when my oldest daughter was younger we borrowed a variety of kids computer things, but again she got on better with a proper PC with full size screen.
My sister's kids have a VTech pad and they seem to like it - big advantage over a PC/laptop is that they can easily carry it around.
Cbeebies website is ace and free
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Are these things much less than a cheap tablet? Our 2.5 year old developed a serious iPad habit, and we have had to curtail use severely, as there were tantrums when it was teatime etc. Fine unless you want to use the iPad too.
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Biggest cause of arguments in our house by miles. Avoided handheld devices until eldest was 10. Regret relenting and giving them iPod touches, I naively wasn't aware of there game playing abilities or would not have bought them.
Up until then they had to use the main house computer in my office or my laptop which was really easy to control. They were also allowed a wii but its put back in its box from Easter to October.
All this is based on my own personal dislike of video games which I see as a total waste of time. The educational value per ported by the manufactures is only to appease parental guilt. The kids will start off doing the spelling/ adding up/ painting / learning Cantonese games but ultimately end up blowing things up and shooting things type games, my two did anyway.
Might sound a bit Luddite but I think I am liberal, I have friends who have not told there kidswhat the black box in the corner of the living room is yet.
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Thanks guys, interesting replies there.
Gav, I agree with what you're saying - and if you're a Luddite then I'm in still the stone age ..but doubt I'll have the casting vote in our house. :) As we have a girl there might be less blowing things up and more dressing Tinkerbell in luminous pink but I too suspect the educational claims are intended more for the parents than the kids.
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Depends how you use it though. For example you could argue that letting them play on a tablet is slightly more educational than watch a DVD on a long car journey for example, if you have suitable games available; our ones favourites are the jigsaw puzzles and one where you build traintracks. It also beats hearing the peppa pig theme tune every 10 mins when a new episode starts!
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I spy only on our journeys or audio entertainment.
iPods not allowed to leave the hoose
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My groms at 5 and 7 have no personel electronic devices. They are allowed to have a go on my lap top now and again but this is for CBeebies type games or drawing programs. We have no electronic stimulation on long journeys.
For me a key thing is learning to read. Given that it is quite hard and needs quite a lot of effort to get the rewards of being lost in the world of the book, it seems a big ask to get a kid to leave the immersive world of electronic gaming etc in order to put the work in to access the immersive world of the book.
Once they can read well they don't really need games to keep them busy as they can read and the less addictive nature of even the best book vs the best video game means there is more room in their brains for other activities/interests. Who is going to be bothered to learn to knit (for example) when far greater rewards are available on a screen?
My kids also never watch TV in the mornings as I just think it anaethatises them to the possibilities of the day. Sorry, I am the walking definition of middle class poncey parent.
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I bet you dress them in those drop-crotch jeans too ;)
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I was never allowed to read books on car journeys as it made me vom. Hopefully car sickness isn't hereditary.
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No morning TV or ipods for my two either on school days, we do relent at weekends though.
Each to there own though, and i try not to get preachy. It might be that the ones who watch TV and play games from the day they can walk may have the last laugh whilst out IT illiterate offspring get left behind by the onslaught of technology.
My decision really is based on the fact that i cant stand video games and can see how they, and the TV, can suck you in and take up all of your time.
Saying that i am not a big reader either, i prefer to go do something even if that's mowing the lawn.
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But if you plonk your kids in front of the TV it allows you to leave them there and go to the pub/bookies/crack den whilst they stare at the screen blankly whilst supping on their white lightning and lighting up another benson and hedges!
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Don't be daft andi.
White lightning is not suitable for young children.
They prefer Blue WKD.
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But if you plonk your kids in front of the TV it allows you to leave them there and go to the pub/bookies/crack den whilst they stare at the screen blankly whilst supping on their white lightning and lighting up another benson and hedges!
There are days when...
Nah, I wouldn't.
Much.
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As with everything, moderation is key and that's the problem with allowing them their own handheld device when they're young. Much easier to regulate use when it's your phone / computer they are playing on. We've been lucky to never even have to deal with the question of electronics in the car as he's always been a really good traveller and is now obsessed with these:
(http://www.ispymichelin.com/image/o-car-journey-W120.jpg) (http://www.ispymichelin.com/image/o-cars-W120.jpg)
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colons?
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No, Stallion. That's a typo
He meant these ~
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ahhhhhh. snakes.
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I think he means the International Red Cross.
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Oh didn't that work? I Spy Cars and I Spy On A Car Journey.
Best things ever for keeping a sprog happy while travelling.
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Thanks for all the replies, it's interesting to read what others think.
As with everything, moderation is key and that's the problem with allowing them their own handheld device when they're young.
I agree with this.
My decision really is based on the fact that i cant stand video games and can see how they, and the TV, can suck you in and take up all of your time.
And this.
FWIW Morning TV is in, because dad needs caffeine and something to focus on whilst getting head together - Peppa Pig only kicks in for a fixed amount of time after nursery. My big concern is that technology will eat into time that should be spent actually using her brain, particularly reading. I know there are 'educational apps' but I happen to think that in practice these are to child development what Wii is to training for the marathon.
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Oh didn't that work? I Spy Cars and I Spy On A Car Journey.
Best things ever for keeping a sprog happy while travelling.
You actually buy I Spy Games? Didn't happen in my day, you just made it up as you went.
I'm a bit concerned about technology eating into development, but the current appetite for Thomas and Friends Books (50 books; 50 variations on a single tedious storyline) and jigsaws shows no letting up.
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the 50 books thing makes me think of Sharpe Jr and his full knowledge of all the Mr Men books - to the extent that he could tell you which book/MrMan corresponded to which number; at some ridiculously young age
that I Spy Cars book is pretty good - Sharpe Jr and I had a whole car journey together talking about cars and engines and stuff. The number of points you get for each spot seemed to particularly appeal to the genius child. The shout of triumph when we ticked a 2CV was most heartening.
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It's class. He's got the certificate for getting 1000 points on the car one. As you say, they're full of facts too.
The books have been around for years, I had some when I was a kid. It's not the same as playing I-spy which we also do. As I say, without a doubt the best things for car journeys.
The Mr Men memory thing still amazes me.....
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Kyle got the mr men box set for xmas (50 now!) and has read nothing else since.
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Number one daughter has the 20 book set of "Horrible Histories" ...
Brilliant.
Daddy kinda likes them too...
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Number one daughter has the 20 book set of "Horrible Histories" ...
Brilliant.
Daddy kinda likes them too...
Less educational but Jr T has both The Batman (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398417/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) and Green Lantern (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1724587/?ref_=sr_3) animated series - Daddy T rather likes them too....
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Son No1 has a load of the TinTin stories and is busy demolishing them of an evening.
Brilliant
Daddy T kinda likes them too!
(can you see a trend developing here).
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Son No1 has a load of the TinTin stories and is busy demolishing them of an evening.
Brilliant
Daddy T kinda likes them too!
(can you see a trend developing here).
Stumbled across the full collection (in a5 rather than a4) for £45 (http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/herge/herge/the+complete+adventures+of+tintin+box+set/8724561/) in a waterstones during Christmas shopping, was dead chuffed.
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They had the tintin DVDs box setting Hmv for a tenner. Daddy kinda etc.
On a less cheerful note and my original intention for resurrecting this thread; does anyone have any experience of kids with " cafe au lait" birthmarks and the potential problems they may indicate?
Internet research is a bit worrying, either reply here or pm. Thanks
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I've got loads of them - big one covering my left chest, and a load of irregular patches on my left arm. This is the first I've heard of them being a problem, it certainly hasn't for me.
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I've got one on my left arm, I used to call them gravy stains when I was a nipper! Never bothered me TBH, and echos of what JB said in that I have never heard of them being an issue.
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Have either of your kids got them? Apparently there is a potential link to neurofibromatosis? Was pointed out by a doctor recently and has caused concern.
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Neither of my two have.
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My sister had one covering her left cheek, never caused a problem and shank away to a mole/beauty spot as she grew up. Never heard of that link before (not saying it isn't linked) but they seem to be quite common?
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I have been asked to get some feedback on some proposed pictures for the rooms in Jessop Wing, the maternity unit here in Sheffield.
I have asked various 'mummy' groups, but would like feedback from dads too.
I think the easiest way is to post a link to an open facebook group, hope this works...
http://www.facebook.com/groups/yummymummymonthly/482231328478606/?notif_t=group_comment (http://www.facebook.com/groups/yummymummymonthly/482231328478606/?notif_t=group_comment)
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I like it in general. Possibly a tad too Floral...
Mix it up a bit?
How many shots are going up?
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I only have a Face Book account to monitor the oldest child's postings (until she is actually 13 and so allowed her own online freedom) - thus, despite joining the "Yummy Mummys Monthly" group I can't work out how to respond to Lucy's post on that group.
Yes they are nice pics, but how about some local scenery? It'd be great to encourage parents to take their kids to see the local parks/countryside/Peak. I know that I'd be very grateful for seeing a bit of recognizable scenery presented in a meaningful way whilst waiting for my wife to finish the hard part of reproduction.
I'm sure some of the photographers on here would like to help brighten up the Jessop Wing.
Failing that, I think a few photos of me would go a long way to reducing the birth rate in Sheffield and therefore reduce pressure on the service
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My wife nearly died in the Jessops giving birth - I personally don't care what pictures are on the wall. The care she received on the post natal ward was dreadful - and we're both doctors, so they should concentrate on basic care - read the mid - staffs report the Jessops could learn a thing or two there.
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fatkid200, sorry to hear of your experience. Was it recent? There is a very good 'Birth Afterthoughts' service where you can go through your experience with the Consultant Midwife who is excellent at responding to your concerns and taking action if necessary to deal with any particular problems.
Myself and the oldest also both didn't make it out still breathing, mainly just because I was very ill. However, there was a particular action (or lack of) on their part that made things worse than they could have been, and I felt our complaint was dealt with very well.
I can pass the contact details to you if you feel it would be helpful. I'm Chair of the Maternity Services Liaison Committee, hence being asked to gather feedback on the photos. As part of that role I am responsible for gaining user feedback. It is really helpful for Jessop Wing to know of particular complaints in order to improve the service so do let me know if you want to follow this up.
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We've had written apologises from the medical director.
We basically had to walk out - my wife couldn't look after herself let alone a baby after delivery and whenever she asked for help she was shouted at.
The midwives wouldn't give our boy pain relief - despite the paeds reg telling them to give it.
And one midwife basically assaulted my wife - which I witnessed.
The only saving grace was the obs reg who delivered the boy - he was superb.
We've moved on - if we have more children we'll be have an elective section under our chosen consultant who we've seen on clinic and have her agreement for this.
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Could there be a well hidden smoking area for ladies about to pop? I would rather have not seen such behaviour when in an agitated state worrying about the health of new babies. And make sure that non-pregnant smokers have to be well clear of the building entrances while working up to draining our health service - Weston Park for instance.
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I agree with lagers that while the photos are lovely they are all a bit generic. I'm sure some local landscape photographers on this forum (one of whom hs just become a dad?) would be able to prove some nice pics at a rate similar to, if not less than, shutterstock.
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Fuck the pictures, get the extra staff back in that lead to poor care, due to lack 0f resources om wards..
If... IF the Francis report does what it should do... The old adage of " well the picture budget isn the staff budget"bullshit will disappear......
If better do, cos the NHS is fucked...
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We've had written apologises from the medical director.
We basically had to walk out - my wife couldn't look after herself let alone a baby after delivery and whenever she asked for help she was shouted at.
The midwives wouldn't give our boy pain relief - despite the paeds reg telling them to give it.
And one midwife basically assaulted my wife - which I witnessed.
The only saving grace was the obs reg who delivered the boy - he was superb.
We've moved on - if we have more children we'll be have an elective section under our chosen consultant who we've seen on clinic and have her agreement for this.
This is a recurring theme at the Jessops. I think there is lot of friction between the medics and midwives there. The latter don't like being told what to do. In fact when me and the missus went for our NCB day run by midwives and held at the Jessops, the main message was if a Doctor gets involved "you've f**ked up your birth' and its going to be a disaster (cascade of doom/intervention).
Serious chips going on.
My mates wife had to go in to deliver 2 late stage dead twins in Jan, was admitted and ignored for 2 days by the midwifery, it was made very clear she was of little importance. She said the medics were superb though.
I don't mean to brand all the midwives there, I know 2 of them and they are lovely people, but there is a problem.
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Fuck the pictures, get the extra staff back in that lead to poor care, due to lack 0f resources om wards..
If... IF the Francis report does what it should do... The old adage of " well the picture budget isn the staff budget"bullshit will disappear......
If better do, cos the NHS is fucked...
:agree:
I have spent plenty of time in my A+E over the last few years. I cant really fault the level of care but, I am amazed at the ammount of junk mail, trust communications and marketing BS that I now get sent. FFS, why does the trust need to market itself?
If they saved money and directed this waste to more front line services im sure all its "customers" would be a lot happier.
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The last two User Consultations we have done showed over 80% satisfaction overall. This could definitely be improved, but there is also a lot of good stuff going on.
Bereavement support has been identified as an area that was, quite frankly, crap. It is on our workplan this year and so far we have set up a fantastic resource to improve this; there are fundraising efforts going on to pay for this.
Communication is also a big issue for those of us representing you lot; both from midwives and consultants. We are making progress, albeit slowly. The Consultant Midwife is fantastic in this area, and is making changes.
One issue is that if you don't raise your concerns then they can't really improve what you weren't happy with. User feedback does make a massive difference, I have been involved for 4 years now and seen some major changes take place.
Some of the money for the photos is being donated by the MSLC itself, its a long story but there is some money left in the budget. The rest will be raised by charity fundraising.
Interesting to hear your thoughts., thanks for them all.
I'm going climbing now :wave:
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I'm sure some of the photographers on here would like to help brighten up the Jessop Wing.
Were you thinking of the DFBWGC thread? :P
Could there be a well hidden smoking area for ladies about to pop? I would rather have not seen such behaviour when in an agitated state worrying about the health of new babies. And make sure that non-pregnant smokers have to be well clear of the building entrances while working up to draining our health service - Weston Park for instance.
Technically the whole hospital site is non-smoking, but there are clearly a lot of people who choose to ignore this and it doesn't seem to be anyone's responsibility to enforce this.
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One of my partners spent 2 years working in Africa - can't remember the exact place, but somewhere sub-Saharan.
The maternal and neonatal death rate was 50% plus. Now there are shit loads of factors for this. What it does tell you that a lot of Mothers need medical intervention to save themselves or their child. Midwives see themselves as independent I.e not working under the medics as most nursing staff do. I worked there several years ago and Mothers are made to feel a failure if any type of intervention happens - epidural /section etc
I agree with fatdoc the NHS is fucked. There are 2 unstable NHS trusts in S.Yorks alone.
For the first time in ten years post qualification I doubt the NHS will be here as it currently stands in 10 years. It's a crying shame - but it's been abused politically and by the public.
The NHS is facing cuts - don't believe it's been ring fenced. Wait times are up -routine neurology wait 16 week, Gynae- 12+ weeks, cardiology 10+ weeks, physio 12 weeks. It's at breaking point and I hear stories like mid-staffs on a daily basis.
If I phone a consultant and they agree to see a patient in their next clinic they can't book the appointment it has to go through some management office!
The government is bring in more target shit - from April I'm suppose to ask every 60 year old that I see if they can get an erection - what aloud of shit.
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Including women?
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:lol:
Yep, it means the GPs hit that target... As it were.
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The last two User Consultations we have done showed over 80% satisfaction overall. This could definitely be improved, but there is also a lot of good stuff going on.
It definitely needs to be improved. 80% means 1 in 5 people aren't satisfied - thats quite a lot
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The government is bring in more target shit - from April I'm suppose to ask every 60 year old that I see if they can get an erection - what aloud of shit.
If not, what happens. Do you have to prescribe him a copy of razzle or something? or it it ok to just :lol: :lol:
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It definitely needs to be improved. 80% means 1 in 5 people aren't satisfied - thats quite a lot
"You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time” - John Lydgate/Abraham Lincoln
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Is this straying from the point, and worth a thread of its own?
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The government is bring in more target shit - from April I'm suppose to ask every 60 year old that I see if they can get an erection - what aloud of shit.
If not, what happens. Do you have to prescribe him a copy of razzle or something? or it it ok to just :lol: :lol:
Fuck knows - private prescription of Viagra I suppose. Women can take that as well.
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What does viagra do for women?
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What does viagra do for women?
Makes them randy. :google:
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I love the word randy, it's so 70s.
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In some birds it's gives em an awesome clit.. So they come loads, and loads, and loads.
Sorry to be direct, but more than 90% of illicit viagra sale is to women..
Fact.
( the drugs companies missed a trick there)
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Well there's some gooDADvice from fatdoc - obviously speaking from direct experience there!
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U should know. Private scripts an all ;)
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I find myself in a heart breaking situation. I am seperated from both the mothers of my kids, and accept that because of this, tricky scenarios would crop up. Both mothers have new partners and they are decent blokes. The mother of my eldest daughter is having a child with her new partner, so my daughter is very excited to be getting a new baby brother/sister as you may well imagine. She has been having trouble understanding why she has the same surname as me, but it is different to her mum's and her mum's new partner. And she has now decided she wants to call her mum's partner "Dad" as her new baby brother/sister will call him that. She says she will call me daddy and him dad, she has always called him by his name until now. What can I say? I'm at a loss really. She sees more of him than she does me, a fact I have to accept as I am no longer with her mother. But to call him dad??? Fair enough if I had buggered off and didn't have anything to do with her, but she stays with me every Friday and Saturday night, I see her as much as is possible. She is only 6 and half, so is this a stage she is going through or not? Ultimately she will do what she wants and I'll have to deal with it, but fuck me, I felt pushed out as it is but this is taking it to a new level.
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I've no personal experience to draw on but have seen others go through similar things. I know it might be feel like rejection, and can only begin to imagine how that feels, but I think its important to remember that at six she almost certainly doesn't see it as rejecting you so much as simply accepting him in, that loving him doesn't diminish her love for you, just as we don't love a second child less than the first. Young children undoubtedly often see things in much more straightforward ways than we, to her dad and daddy just make sense, they fit the reality she faces and imply no judgement of who is loved or valued more.
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Sorry mate. That sounds a tough one to swallow. Life's made up of a lot of people who are very important to us.
Don't forget the whole thing must be really confusing to your daughter. She's not saying she doesn't want you or doesn't want to call you Dad. Kids also love to please, so she's possibly 'rewarding' (for the want of a better word) this guy with a title for the care he gives her.
She's not saying it to hurt you. I guess you're not able to stop it, so accept her decision and make her feel free and supported.
Chin up.
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Tough one to deal handle. We create these complicated relationship scenarios and expect our kids to deal with it. Being in a similar situation when I was a kid (although at age 11 it's a bit easier to understand than at age 6) I can assure you it's not done out any malice, just their way of trying to figure out a complicated situation
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I guess I just wanted the exclusive title of Dad/Daddy etc, although I have to accept that the new partners of my ex partners do my job effectively when the kids aren't with me. It just cuts very deep! I try my hardest to be a good dad to them but when time together is limited and the fact that they spend more time with their mothers and partners comes into play, reality bites hard.
Thanks for replies chaps.
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Like the other posters I'd focus on the fact that her use of language isn't quitr the same as ours..she knows you're her dad and will love you for it. She's trying to work out the correct form of address with some complicated relationships -a tricky thing for an adult let alone little girl.
Feel for you though, sure things will work themselves out in time.
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Easy to say but try not to worry about it too much, my folks split when I was three and neither of my two step dad's were ever 'Dad' even during some years when I rarely saw my dad, this is despite being close to them. Now a dad myself I get called all sorts including 'Uncle Daddy' especially when around my brothers. Think of Bart and Homer, Bart never calls Homer 'dad' despite a close relationship. Probably a Groening family reference. You will always be their Dad, despite what anyone else is called.
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I have 4 kids. Two are mine and two are my Fiancées'.
My two were 6 and 3 when their Mum died and they refer to my Fiancée as "Polly", and probably always will.
Polly's two were 2 1/2 and 6 months when their Dad died, now 6 and 4. The eldest calls me Matt when he's talking to me and Daddy when talking to "outsiders". The little one calls me Daddy when she wants something, Matt when we're having fun an Matthew when she's angry (often).
My point here is, they make up their own minds.
They know who we are, they know who loves them and cares for them and they reciprocate in their own way.
It's just a word.
Look for the smile and the cuddle, that's what really says "DADDY!"
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All sound comments, as always a balanced reply from UKB folks when I lose my head. Currently sat with both my girls, educating them in the joys of "Trapdoor", they don't seem that impressed at the moment!
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Sorry - this feels like a massive lurch off topic so apologies Mike...
...so Mrs TTT and I are expecting TTT Junior and are trying to get our shit together in preparation.
The topic of buggies has reared its ugly head, and a lot of friends and family are saying Bugaboo is the road we should go down.
Now, I have zero intention of spending full price on a new one (hadn't realised you can spend over a grand on a bloody buggy...the combined cost of my first few cars doesn't add up to that!), but having been looking on eBay etc and am a bit foxed by the numerous models, add-ons etc.
Any badass Dad gangstas care to break this shit down for a homie?
A friend of a friend has Bugaboo Chameleon for sale, all the bells and whistles (rain cover, parasol, even a flight bag(!)) all for £500 but am mindful about chucking a load of fuck-alls at a load of shit we ain't gonna need.
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Don't bother. Heavy, fills your boot up, OTT.
Really if you need an all terrain buggy, just get a baby sling.
We used a Maclaren Techno XT,bombproof, lasted 2 kids, seat drops flat for when they are babies, and can move up several angles when they get older. Also light, folds up flat at a press of a button and doesn't cost 500 fuck alls!
IMHO
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Everyone likes to recommend their choice, it's a way of congtratulating themselves on their own fine judgment. As my partner got this, i take no credit.
You should give the city mini by babyjogger (http://www.babyjogger.co.uk/citymini.php) a serious consideration. ours was in good nick after 3 years when we sold it on so you shopuld be able to pick one up secondhand. If you buy new go to John Lewis (http://www.johnlewis.com/baby-jogger-city-mini-3-wheeler-black/p231450223?kpid=231450223&s_kenid=1e4ee35a-215c-ff68-0aca-00001e4d13f1&s_kwcid=ppc_pla&tmad=c&tmcampid=73) as they have their own guarantees/ great customer service if there are problems.
It's awesome and folds up easily with one hand, something you'll appreciate when on your own holding junior with the other. Well-priced, lightweight, manoeuvrable. Excellent.
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Can't....stand...buggy...talk... :sick:
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We've got a bugaboo.. It's actually much lighter than most others that do what it does (ability to lie flat when baby is small, stick a car seat on it). I much prefer it to the bill and teds that we've borrowed since having two, which is really heavy and takes up most of the boot. The bugaboo is the only thing we've spent a lot on and that was second hand. It's v good off road in Font as u can push it big wheels first in sand.
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We got a Quinny buzz, which was pretty good, lasted through our two, was passed onto a friend who's now on their third with it. My advice would be to definitely buy second hand, it'll look ditched pretty soon any way (and which ever one you go for just make sure it's got a decent rain cover)
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We used a Maclaren Techno XT,bombproof, lasted 2 kids, seat drops flat for when they are babies, and can move up several angles when they get older. Also light, folds up flat at a press of a button and doesn't cost 500 fuck alls!
IMHO
Everyone we know, including us, has a McLaren Techno XT. Does everything one might need of a buggy, cheap (for a buggy), light, easyily fits in the boot allowing space for loads of other stuff and is small enough to get into cafes when you need a coffee and a cake (this happens a lot when you have a baby). The downsides are that you can't stick a car seat on it, you have to transfer them (no biggie imo but seesm to be the end of the woprld to some people) and it's not great off-road. We have a three wheeler off-roader that was free form my sister in law but it's far to big to take into cafes/shops and the sun hood doesn't go low enough, que lots of sneezing. It is only used for Pram-fit/circuits and going to the Stokesly show.
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We've got a city jogger too. It's great, but not brilliant offroad, if that ever becomes an issue. We started off with a bigger heavier thing with inflatable tyres and a bit of suspension, which was great to start off, as we couldn't use a baby carrier initially and any decent length walking near our house involves jeep tracks and dirt roads.
We have some adaptors for mounting a maxi cosi car seat on the baby jogger you can have for a few quid if you go down that route.
And CONGRATULATIONS!
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And CONGRATULATIONS!
Absolutely!
Great news Tzone
4T? (TinyTommyTwoTone?)
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Course, if your willing to cough up a few more fuck alls, this is the shit:
(http://www.theredrocket.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/BMW-April-Fools-2013-PRAM.jpg)
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Another big +1 for getting an Techno XT. Lots of our mates got big wheeled three wheelers and soon got sick of the size and weight. Although someones says the XT isn't great offroad you 'd be surprised what we have done with ours. The thing is even a large wheeled buggy doesn't go over brick sized blocks without thowing the baby about loads so you end up being limited to gravelly fire roads etc which the XT copes fine with (8 wheels, independent suspension :thumbsup:), and if there is a rough bit its light enough to pick up with the small one in.
Techno XT, then use a carrier (BabyBjorn or similar) for rougher walks, up to the crag etc, and Maxi-Cosi car seats.
Regarding carriers, both ours were Autumn/Winter babies so we wanted to take them out to the peak during the winter, to start with the winning piece of kit for us was a sling carrier that looked exactly like a rope bag! They loved it, very cosy and guarenteed to nod off in it, then moved onto a BabyBjorn when they were bigger.
Sling was similar to this...
(http://img.eachbuyer.com/500-500/c/j/cj13_1.jpg)
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Galpinos is right about the whole transfer thing, they shouldn't be in a car seat for hours anyway, better to let them wriggle about in a buggy. Also being able to fold it one handed and lift it one handed is key.
One more thing, for many things I'd agree about getting second hand, except McClaren buggys get used so much they tend to get tatty but the time they are sold/passed on! Ours is still going strong except the rubber grips have worn through twice due to 6 years of near everyday use! They are a bargain to start with so get one new. Oh yeah and get the 'Cosy Toes' accessory.
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Hin out where and when your local NCT has second hand sales. Loads of shit to be had for nearly no fuck alls.
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We have a Bugaboo bee which has lasted well and seems perfectly fine but I have nothing to compare it with. I guess they are the like Audi Q5s: a bit over-engineered for most needs. They are similarly popular in north London, I believe you are turned away from Hampstead Heath if you don't have one. Since offspring can now ride a bike ours is definitely surplus to requirements. We'd sell it for much less than the price quoted above and I have PMed you.
Baby Bjorn thing very good, albeit very expensive for a bit of cloth and padding.
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we had a variety of used baby transporters given to us - we ended up spending money on a used McClaren Techno and ditched everything else
We've got a wooden Mothercare drop side cot going free if you want it TTT
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Kiddicare website usually has some good deals on buggies etc. I got a "travel system" that was supposed to be about £500 or something (7 years ago) for less than £200 as it was last year's model (i.e. a different colour). Worth a look.
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/via tommytwotone on Twatter
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BdYsX7hCMAAjKLd.jpg:large)
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Ha ha! Spot on.
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Brilliant!!!
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Totally on the mark.
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Totally on the mark.
Made me laugh, lots of my mates have gone down that route. I'm using it as kind of a reference point of "the things we will absolutely not be doing"!
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Not sure if this belongs here or in snooooooooooooowboarding, but I think more here:
Was out on the hill with M jnr this weekend, and he insisted on spending a morning in the fun park. This is an area completely outside my range of snowboarding experience, so my l33t coaching sk1llz were limited to "erm, maybe try some of the smaller things first".
Which advice was taken, and followed by half a dozen successful runs over and off a small tabletop, all landed well. The last run of the day, however, resulted in a vertical 180, nose landing and tears.
Not a big deal in an of itself, but it got my thinking about how permanently terrified I will be if he ever gets into flying around in the air upside down on a regular basis. And that, in turn, about how permanently terrified my mum must have been when I took up climbing.
Dadvice? Dunno. How does one go about managing the permanent terror resulting from one's child taking up risky pursuits, especially when one's own track record in such matters is far from clean?
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Not easy! Not a dad but working with youth. These boys/Girls want to take risks. And just like with climbing you have to asses these risks, and learn them how to do.
If it is unacceptable for you, it is for them, except if your name is Alex Honnold, and you have an alternative view on these things. :)
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I ponder this daily. My little darlings are constantly trying to give me a heart attack.
But I was such a dick (until fairly recently, or the birth of my first to be precise); taking ludicrous risks. It took a dive boat fire 25 miles off shore as my final near death experience, a few weeks before she was born; to wake me up.
And I can't reconcile that history and the fantastic life it allowed me, with my absolutely mortifying fear of something happening to them.
So I take them climbing.
Go figure.
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Dear UKB: what the f+ck do you do when your kid starts complaining about bullied at school? M jnr is ten, in his first year at middle school and the youngest in his class. The first term or so went well academically, but suddenly he's reluctant to go in the morning and says other boys are taunting and hitting him.
As a parent, obviously it hurts when the child is clearly unhappy. But you only have the word of a ten year old as to what exactly is really going on. Is it just normal push & shove between boys and he's being too much of a sensitive flower, or is it seriously nasty? How do you encourage him to stand up for himself, without giving him the idea that escalating violence is likely to be the answer? Etc.
We're going in to talk to the teacher tomorrow, obviously, but what else?
Smacking the (alleged) bullies oneself is clearly not an option however tempting it might be. Hunting down their dads and smacking them would also be undignified and likely to land oneself in deep trouble.
I'm thinking some kind of martial arts classes as a long term approach to physical and moral self-confidence. We're also considering moving him next year to another school nearer home where there are more of his old friends from primary school. But first we have to get through the rest of this school year.
Help?
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Roll play is your answer...
The IT Crowd | Bullies On The Bench | Channel 4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l4r10MOH70#)
and if that doesn't work...
Moss: Bullies (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elDcYcpSI7s#ws)
But joking aside, it is all about confidence, they'll only pick on the ones who fear them. A few good retorts can be pretty useful. They'll soon move on to someone else.
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No idea how it's viewed in Germany, but in UK schools I believe it's taken very seriously.
Feel for you and your lad, it's a real dilemma what to do. It's a concern we are having with our son as to what to do, as he's going to be one of the youngest in his year.
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Marshal arts training works well.
My Eldest (step) Son is very short, 7 and mild mannered. He's only slightly taller than No.2 son who's only 5.
He's also one belt short of Black (jnr) in Muay Thai.
(Not actually my decision. His Mum was determined that he should be able to protect himself and more importantly control his anger. This is because his Father was murdered in a random street attack, which he does not yet understand and she fears how he may react when he does.
I don't share her fear, because he's too bright and well adjusted. )
He was recently told by school mates he was too small to play Footy with them.
I understand there was a discussion and the issue was resolved.
He is now playing up front every day.
The principle antagonist is now a good friend.
And his teacher sn**gered as he told us.
For myself. I gained glasses and the mother of all braces (headgear and all) during the summer holiday prior to beginning Secondary school.
This proved troublesome.
I was rather wimpy but already climbing obsessively. I took up Judo too.
During my second year, I lost it with my usual persecutor and simply turned around and beat the shit out of him. In that moment I found my confidence.
It sounds brutish and stupid, but I changed.
Stood up.
I learned to fight and more importantly how to prevent it reaching that stage.
Apart from my Military time, I have had very little call to use any of the skills I have learnt.
Being able to convey the impression that you can and will defend yourself; is usually sufficient to deter a bully.
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Thanks guys. We had a meeting with his teacher today, and she certainly sounded like she was going to take the matter seriously.
And the search for a martial arts school begins ...
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Regarding risk to our little darlings who try to fly on boards, bikes etc....
Its not a matter if they need medical attention, but when. most pro coaches are clear on this.
As long as the child has capacity to appreciate what the worst outcome is ( I'm not talking legal capacity, but parenteral appreciatation / guidance) and they have to your mind the training and ability....... Well, it's bit like what we do as adults in my mind.
Example: my middle lad aged 11 got dispensation to be allowed to uplift the DH course at Cwmcarn from the operator. He had all gear, loved it and will be a day he will never forget. Binned it a few times, but all was good.
3 weeks ago, we were training at a minor bMX track, he was well up for railing a berm with enough speed to trick the next jump set.... Went faster, went faster... Rear tyre clearly drifting out
I say " go any faster and your fucked"
Not "don't try it any more...."
He learnt to trick the jump set without the speed.. Better than me :(
Parenthood. Bonkers. Love it!
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Regarding risk to our little darlings who try to fly on boards, bikes etc....
Its not a matter if they need medical attention, but when. most pro coaches are clear on this.
As long as the child has capacity to appreciate what the worst outcome is ( I'm not talking legal capacity, but parenteral appreciatation / guidance) and they have to your mind the training and ability....... Well, it's bit like what we do as adults in my mind.
Example: my middle lad aged 11 got dispensation to be allowed to uplift the DH course at Cwmcarn from the operator. He had all gear, loved it and will be a day he will never forget. Binned it a few times, but all was good.
3 weeks ago, we were training at a minor bMX track, he was well up for railing a berm with enough speed to trick the next jump set.... Went faster, went faster... Rear tyre clearly drifting out
I say " go any faster and your fucked"
Not "don't try it any more...."
He learnt to trick the jump set without the speed.. Better than me :(
Parenthood. Bonkers. Love it!
Not sure what language the last bit was...?
"Railing a Berm" sounds like something you'd have to travel to Thailand for.
But I think I agree.
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I never have any idea what language fatdoc is posting in.
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But I think I agree.
I think I do too. At any rate I was a willing partner in the "don't tell mum" conspiracy after my lad's nose landing in the snowboard park the other week.
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Just trying to add to the discussion... That once they are off down the slope / piste / track u can offer advice at beginning or end.. When they are in progress u may as well not be there.
I stopped following my lads on MTB years ago. Just meet up at the bottom, less stressful for all.
A berm is a banked corner, ridden without brakes leant over can sling shot a rider at speed... The berm is thus railed.
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Railing a berm:
(http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb2255528/p4pb2255528.jpg)
(http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb6705085/p5pb6705085.jpg)
(http://volumebikes.com/bmx/wp-content/uploads/Tate-curb-drift-by-bryce.jpg)
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I think my idea was more fun...
Probably not old enough for that yet, though.
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:icon_321:
Railing a berm:
(http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb6705085/p5pb6705085.jpg)
Has he got boreal aces on? Class..
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An organisational NNFN. Bought tickets to visit my brother and family who live in Zurich. Flying next Thursday. The youngest's passport hasn't arrived. We sent it off three weeks ago today (the day before the passport saga news hit).
Tickets are non refundable. £800.
So, the options.
I go with the eldest (whose 4th birthday is on the Sat) and leave the wife and youngest.
Or
The wife and I take the eldest, leaving the youngest (11 months) with my parents who would drive up from Devon.
The first is a sh*tty option. The later seems really harsh and I don't think I'll be able to deal with the guilt. It is after all our fault.
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Yeesh. Tough calls to make. My Dad flew over from SA recently, got his renewal 2 days before his flight. Good luck, might still turn up.
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That's a bastard. However, if the parents are happy to look after the little one (and vice versa) then definitely go option 2 as at 11 months the sprog won't remember the trip anyway and will have just as good a time being spoiled by the grandparents.
Proviso being that the Mrs is also 100% happy with this too as otherwise it's obviously a non starter!
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Tough one, console yourself that you haven't been as silly as we were....in a similar boat two days before we were due to go to Font with our two, we realised neither of us had even applied for a passport for our youngest, also 11 months old at the time. Usual story "I thought you'd done it, no I thought you'd done it...etc". Queue much phoning around and driving around to get one short notice...all in vain :slap:
The possible scenarios in your case....
1) Passport turns up in the nick of time :2thumbsup:
2) 11month gets some quality time with the GPs, and you get a break sans Baby :2thumbsup: (only go with this one if MrsD is able to leave babs and still enjoy her time away without stressing constantly. Mrs Obi was not able to do this!)
3) Eldest gets some quality 1:1 Dad time and MrsD has a break with her family etc :2thumbsup:
Might be annoying now but it'll work ok, and you'll soon get over it.
In our situation Mrs Obi took our 11month old to the Lakes with her folks, and I got some quality Dad time with my eldest in Font. Even managed to give a lift to a friend so the ferry tic wasn't wasted. Looking back on it, all good.
Don't stress.
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I'm with Jasper and co on this one.
Having traveled a lot with toddlers in the past, realising they don't even remember it three years later, makes all the stress of bored kids a waste of time.
We also applied 4 weeks ago, for three out of our four and there's no sign yet.
Due to leave mid August. :/
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On positive note me and gf have both had to get ppt replaced in last couple of months, hers (sent beginning may) was over three weeks, but arrived in a couple of days after she rang them (after about three weeks and two days). Mine (one week fast track, appointment was last Tues aft) took less than three days - arrived first thing last Friday. I'd say ring them, continue planning for all to go, but make contingency for otherwise. Hope it works out.
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[We were told later...] You can't fast track a first passport. They have to get signatures from people who know you to confirm the kid is yours which can add to the delays.
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Just to echo everyone else I'd hope the passport turns up but if not I'd dump youngest on the gp's (assuming they are happy with this) and go and have a whale of a time. You can spend a lot of quality time with the old child without the new entry to the nest getting in the way, a nice birthday treat, and the young 'un won't have the faintest recollection of anything (and will probably have a boss time running the gp's ragged).
Whatever don't stress it.
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Nice one for all the help and encouragement. Got home today and the passport has arrived. I called them on Friday and explained the situation. They were dealing with passports (if you called up) in order of who was flying first. They called on Saturday and Sunday, and emailed again on Monday. Really pleased with the customer service experience we received. Thank you Passport office people.
Now looking forward to a holiday with Mrs Donkey and the kids :2thumbsup:
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Gute Reise!
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:clap2: :icon_beerchug: :2thumbsup: :great: :punk: :clap2: :dance1: :bounce:
Very glad to hear it, have a great hol!
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Nice one. :)
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Today's lesson: comforting a grandson who has lost a grandfather takes precedence over being a son who has lost a father.
This growing up malarkey never stops, does it?
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Today's lesson: comforting a grandson who has lost a grandfather takes precedence over being a son who has lost a father.
This growing up malarkey never stops, does it?
I don't know. I suddenly found myself doing all "grown up" stuff and holding my Farther and his two sisters tight, Holding my own feeling till later, when my Grandfather died.
Then he returned the favour when my wife died.
Then I had to grow up again to tell my children.
I feel for you and the children. May you find the strength you need and the peace of heart to move forward.
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Today's lesson: comforting a grandson who has lost a grandfather takes precedence over being a son who has lost a father.
This growing up malarkey never stops, does it?
You've looked after your son and been a good Dad, for which I'm sure your dad would be proud.
My condolences. Chin up.
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Thanks guys.
I suddenly found myself doing all "grown up" stuff and holding my Farther and his two sisters tight, Holding my own feeling till later, when my Grandfather died.
Was similar for me, I was in my twenties when my grandparents died. My lad is only eleven.
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Andy Kirkpatrick talking on R4's Four Thought about parenting and allowing children to explore risk.
http://www.andy-kirkpatrick.com/blog/view/risky_play (http://www.andy-kirkpatrick.com/blog/view/risky_play)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/fourthought (http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/fourthought)
It's made me stop and think about my role/approach as a dad again after a period of time being caught up in the day to day highs/lows and grind of parenthood and not really thinking about the bigger picture.
I always enjoy Andy's writing/speaking & thought it was worth sharing here.
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Absolutely brilliant, thank you
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Great stuff! I love his genial unassumability...
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Any ideas for presents etc?
Any ideas off the wall or otherwise for 5 y.o. boy (other than LEGO) and 2.5 y.o. girl?
I can recommend this for 5 yo if you don't have it. Got it summer 2013, and it still gets a regular read, no other book has come close for longevity of interest.
http://www.theworks.co.uk/p/activity-packs/can-you-find...-1001-pirate-things-activity-book/9780857803054 (http://www.theworks.co.uk/p/activity-packs/can-you-find...-1001-pirate-things-activity-book/9780857803054)
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5 y.o. may be a bit young (although my 4 y.o. is already showing an interest). My eldest is just 7 and he's getting pretty creative with his Hama beads.
http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Toys-R-Us/Learning/Creative-Play/Hama-Beads-10000-Beads-and-Pegboards-in-Bucket(0067369) (http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Toys-R-Us/Learning/Creative-Play/Hama-Beads-10000-Beads-and-Pegboards-in-Bucket(0067369))
They do a larger style for younger kids. Ikea do some cheaper ones...
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/50128572/ (http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/50128572/)
Thank god he's forgotten about his bloody loom bands! These are a lot more creative and aren't quite so annoying/difficult. They are still a pain when the younger one kicks them across the room (a hoover with a sock over is a handy tip)
On another note, my two have had a lot of fun with their Imaginext stuff.
http://www.toysrus.co.uk/browse/product/fisher-price/imaginext (http://www.toysrus.co.uk/browse/product/fisher-price/imaginext)
Nicely built, lots of interchangeable stories. Batman defends the castle from the dragon etc. The castle we've got responds to the dragon via infrared, which is very clever. Gets played with a lot more than the Playmobil stuff they have.
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Logan(6) is into Transformers and these build kits are good fun:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_4?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=kreo%20transformers&sprefix=Kreo%2Caps%2C198 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_4?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=kreo%20transformers&sprefix=Kreo%2Caps%2C198)
Dylan (4) is into dinosaurs and is into dressing up in this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dinosaur-Dragon-Kids-Costume-years/dp/B005835AQS/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1416323808&sr=8-6&keywords=dinosaur+dress+up (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dinosaur-Dragon-Kids-Costume-years/dp/B005835AQS/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1416323808&sr=8-6&keywords=dinosaur+dress+up)
Ethan (4) is into pirates and generally like destroying stuff, no toy lasts, like drawing though and making stuff, Fimo may work
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Staedtler-Fimo-Starter-8023-10/dp/B0002VE2ZQ/ref=sr_1_7?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1416324414&sr=1-7&keywords=kids+clay (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Staedtler-Fimo-Starter-8023-10/dp/B0002VE2ZQ/ref=sr_1_7?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1416324414&sr=1-7&keywords=kids+clay)
Not got girls, sorry, apparently they break less stuff.... :shrug:
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All good ideas, I think Imaginex batcave is on the list as coming from Nana.
We did have some Hama beads (the Ikea ones) but they've gone back on the shelf for now, as they started appearing in youngest's nappies. Ewwww.
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Logan used to eat Sam's hair, it was Like pulling a guinea worm...
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Oh yeah, in spite of my cynicism and thinking they're a bit shit, Mr Potato Head has been a winner for several years too, still gets played with 2 years after getting it as a Xmas present.
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While we're tapping the creative hive mind, anyone got any ideas for a girl who'll be 10-11 months old at Xmas?!
I think I'm under some pressure to come up with something good / thoughtful as it's Una's first Xmas...then it's her birthday in early Feb so will need to old some things back for that!
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Wooden stacking rings, or wooden ramp racer. If they don't have them already. Or if you want to spend a bit more the walker trolley with wooden letter blocks.
Don't go overboard, they're probably going to be a bit overwhelmed anyway. As grandparents for money in a bank account or clarks shoes vouchers. Shit those little shoes aren't cheap.
Or fags.
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Why is that it that whenever I see the title of this thread I just want to say, "Don't"?
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While we're tapping the creative hive mind, anyone got any ideas for a girl who'll be 10-11 months old at Xmas?!
I think I'm under some pressure to come up with something good / thoughtful as it's Una's first Xmas...then it's her birthday in early Feb so will need to old some things back for that!
Mrs Obi (who knows these things ;)) rates this little beauty as the number one toy for a one year old of either sex.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41pcu51ldAL.jpg)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00005OB9H (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00005OB9H)
Works on numerous levels and almost guaranteed to make them smile straight away.
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forgot about those, we have them too, surefire win. I've never managed to get them to clear the hole and land back in. Not that I've tried. Much.
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While we're tapping the creative hive mind, anyone got any ideas for a girl who'll be 10-11 months old at Xmas?!
I think I'm under some pressure to come up with something good / thoughtful as it's Una's first Xmas...then it's her birthday in early Feb so will need to old some things back for that!
Just wrap up a russian-doll style nest of empty boxes. The crap inside them usually gets ditched in favour of the cardboard and shiny paper anyway. Sensory play for f-all.
Bought ours a big outdoor trampolene when she was 18 months or something, still gets well used six years on. It cost a lot at the time but in terms of longevity it's worked out a lot cheaper than most of the stuff they've had over the years.
But as has been said, no real need to go too OTT cos everyone else will regardless.
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And you know you want to spend the evening of Christmas Eve outside, in the dark, putting together a whole load of metal tubes under tension.
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While we're tapping the creative hive mind, anyone got any ideas for a girl who'll be 10-11 months old at Xmas?!
I think I'm under some pressure to come up with something good / thoughtful as it's Una's first Xmas...then it's her birthday in early Feb so will need to old some things back for that!
One those bikes which is a bit like a push chair, that you can take the handles off and it becomes a little trike. We've ordered one for grandson who will 7 months at Christmas.
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While we're tapping the creative hive mind, anyone got any ideas for a girl who'll be 10-11 months old at Xmas?!
I think I'm under some pressure to come up with something good / thoughtful as it's Una's first Xmas...then it's her birthday in early Feb so will need to old some things back for that!
Dude, this is the only year you can get away with not spending any money. Give her the box that your new rock boots come in😄. She won't remember it, or next year for that matter. Plus she'll be overwhelmed by the frankly grotesque amount of gifts that your friends and family will shower upon her.
Ps bah, humbu...
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Plus your bought her a house
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Nerf guns are ace
I love mine
the little lad thinks it's great drawing targets on the blackboard so I can shoot them (chalk dust makes a good puff of smoke) - he then retrieves the darts, hands them back to me and stands behind me while I shoot the blackboard some more
the two youngest even argue over whose go it is to get my darts back
I don't let them fire the gun themselves - they can wait until they get their own
oh and don't forget the mighty STOMP ROCKET - only a tenner or so to buy
get the "indoor" version (junior) for little kids so that they can't break windows or take someone's eye out
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sun sense pop up infant play tent (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000TENOVO/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=479289247&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00HGPZHBY&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1N4A72MHTBK4CK75RBJ4)
folds up small and can slip into a bouldering pad
keeps sun off, cold out and is fun to play in while dad climbs
make sure you peg it down on windy days in the Peak
a small bouldering pad fits nicely inside - add dad's duvet jacket and a decent sleep is possible
I got one in 2001 and got a replacement earlier this year
in the background at the start of this
https://vimeo.com/110310648 (https://vimeo.com/110310648)
pretty good on the beach coz you can fill the outside pockets with sand to hold it down
I know it's close to "child care equipment", but it is a lot of fun (and helps enormously with enjoying longer days out)
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stuff the kids got a lot of fun out of when they were even smaller
this is ace - easy to operate, drives along slowly, doesn't get wrecked when it drives into walls, great sounds - and you can put other stuff into the trailer - this was in regular use from when middle child was 12 months till youngest was 30 months, so 4 and a half years of use without anything breaking
http://www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/pre-school-electronic-learning/c-459/preschool-vehicles/p-1810/old-macdonald-farm-tractor-trailer/ (http://www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/pre-school-electronic-learning/c-459/preschool-vehicles/p-1810/old-macdonald-farm-tractor-trailer/)
I had my doubts about this, but the kids loved this set - cool sounds - has taken some right abuse
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fisher-Price-Laugh-Learn-Say-Please/dp/B001IEYXAA (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fisher-Price-Laugh-Learn-Say-Please/dp/B001IEYXAA)
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then it's her birthday in early Feb so will need to old some things back for that!
You think that's a problem; Kyle's birthday is Xmas day.
Webbo, it's called a smart trike. Sturdy and good as an alternative to a pushchair, but has proven useless as an actual trike; the drop in the cranks is too short and it's too heavy to get moving properly.
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And you know you want to spend the evening of Christmas Eve outside, in the dark, putting together a whole load of metal tubes under tension.
I'm sure I got tennis elbow from building ours by myself. And I was quite please to manage to build it in half the time they suggested it would take two people to do it. Now I'm paying for my pride :(
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We have the same problem re Xmas / Birthday as Raf's is 17/12. Coupled with the fact that he's not really interested in most toys (or anything that doesn't involve cricket or a touch screen) it creates a headache at this time of year. We've tried buying him toys that he's shown an interest in at other kids houses but they generally just end up gathering dust before being passed on to lagers.
However, one toy that my Mum got him last year has been a massive hit and may well appeal to a 5 year old boy:
http://www.elc.co.uk/Vtech-Kidizoom-Twist-Plus/131855,default,pd.html?cm_mmc=Google-_-Learning+&+Educational-_-Shopping+Campaigns-_-VTech (http://www.elc.co.uk/Vtech-Kidizoom-Twist-Plus/131855,default,pd.html?cm_mmc=Google-_-Learning+&+Educational-_-Shopping+Campaigns-_-VTech)
Loads of features aside from being a camera, easy to use and seems pretty indestructible.
Aside from that I can't really help, this year I've bought him a subscription to Wisden.
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We had one of those on a backburner list on Amazon to get Kyle when he was older, but grandparents found the list and swooped in (keep them private!) Kyle loves it too, good tip is to get a small cheap micro sd card for it (slot in the bottom) that way all the pictures don't get lost from the internal memory when the batteries die.
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Yeah and means loads more storage for making hundreds of videos of himself talking nonsense and shouting. Also good as it has USB so you can transfer the photos to the PC meaning the kid can learn how to mess around with files (and pick it up much more quickly than his mother).
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Kyle's staying well clear of our PC. That's my domain!!
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there's something very child friendly about a camera that is designed to be held with both hands
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It's also quite clever that the lens can be folded over to face you, so you can take selfies while looking at the screen.
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Following on from Lagers tent suggestion, we've had the Decathlon pop up shelter for years and it gets used loads on beachs, crags etc. I'd probably recommend the one with zip door...
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/2-seconds-shelter-xl-0-green-id_8242946.html (http://www.decathlon.co.uk/2-seconds-shelter-xl-0-green-id_8242946.html)
We have the one without (http://www.decathlon.co.uk/2-seconds-0-pop-up-camping-shelter-blue-id_8242945.html) and the door would be useful sometimes. Great for changing/stowing kit on a beach on a showery day/getting out of the wind etc. Instant up and about 10 seconds to stow once you have the knack.
Pretty much kid proof, can stand being jumped on etc.
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have the one with the door and can confirm it's very handy. Bought it a few years back for kids feed & nap times while in Font, doesn't get used for that anymore but great for the beach, as Obi says.
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for kids feed & nap times while in Font, doesn't get used for that anymore...
Now it's for Dad's feed and nap time ;)
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I like to pitch it beneath my current problem where I shut the world out and sit cross legged going through the moves while listening to motivational tapes, there's enough room inside to make the hand moves on all but the reachiest problems. When ready I exit straight onto the mats, get on the problem and execute it straight away. If that doesn't work nothing will and it gets booted around the forest for a few minutes. Never managed to break it yet.
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We have the same problem re Xmas / Birthday as Raf's is 17/12. Coupled with the fact that he's not really interested in most toys (or anything that doesn't involve cricket or a touch screen) it creates a headache at this time of year. We've tried buying him toys that he's shown an interest in at other kids houses but they generally just end up gathering dust before being passed on to lagers.
However, one toy that my Mum got him last year has been a massive hit and may well appeal to a 5 year old boy:
http://www.elc.co.uk/Vtech-Kidizoom-Twist-Plus/131855,default,pd.html?cm_mmc=Google-_-Learning+&+Educational-_-Shopping+Campaigns-_-VTech (http://www.elc.co.uk/Vtech-Kidizoom-Twist-Plus/131855,default,pd.html?cm_mmc=Google-_-Learning+&+Educational-_-Shopping+Campaigns-_-VTech)
Loads of features aside from being a camera, easy to use and seems pretty indestructible.
Aside from that I can't really help, this year I've bought him a subscription to Wisden.
What's the flash sync speed like on that?
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For all those dads out there who wondered if you'd let Alex Honnold take your kid up a fixed rope in a rucksack.
"Just cinch him up".
About 4 mins in on the video and onwards. Comedy gold.
http://abc7news.com/travel/fellow-climber-attests-to-difficulty-of-el-capitan-climb/473993/ (http://abc7news.com/travel/fellow-climber-attests-to-difficulty-of-el-capitan-climb/473993/)
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For all those dads out there who wondered if you'd let Alex Honnold take your kid up a fixed rope in a rucksack.
"Just cinch him up".
About 4 mins in on the video and onwards. Comedy gold.
http://abc7news.com/travel/fellow-climber-attests-to-difficulty-of-el-capitan-climb/473993/ (http://abc7news.com/travel/fellow-climber-attests-to-difficulty-of-el-capitan-climb/473993/)
(Late I know but)
Holy shit this is hillarious. I'm surprised he didn't say stuff him in the pig and haul him up after!
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This one's really on an advice tip, based on experience this weekend, and perhaps a bit of catharsis too.
The message is: make sure you know what to do if your child starts choking on something.
Basically Una was eating tea last night which included baked beans, one of her current favourites. She was eating away, with both of us watching her and she just suddenly stopped moving. No coughing, no choking, just stopped.
Her eyes went off into the distance and she started trembling. We thought we was having a fit or something and then twigged, triggering all hell breaking loose. Fiona grabbed her while I dialled 999.
Fiona had Una over her knee with her head on the ground and was smacking her on the back (which it turns out is the current advice/right thing to do), but it didn't seem to be working. At one point while on the phone to 999 I looked over and Fiona looked like she was attempting CPR. After what seemed like an eternity managed to dislodge the errant bean. That weak, pathetic cry was the sweetest sound ever as it meant she was alive.
A trip to Dewsbury A+E and lots of checking later, all seems OK but safe to say we've had a hell of a fright.
Fiona actually did a pediatric first aid course early on in Una's life but said in the panic she wasn't thinking straight. It's always been something I've always "meant to get round to" and felt totally helpless while it was all going on.
Needless to say we're watching her like a hawk now, and I've been cuddling her that little bit tighter today. It was just frightening how quickly things went from normal, her babbling away to us while eating tea to just...nothing. The look in her eyes won't leave me for a long time.
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Being a parent is the hardest thing going.
Helpless.
Lost.
Clueless.
All normal.
Also, the stone, cold, heavy weight in the chest; that grows each time you hit the "what the fuck do I do now" wall.
Keep doing what you're doing.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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This one's really on an advice tip, based on experience this weekend, and perhaps a bit of catharsis too.
The message is: make sure you know what to do if your child starts choking on something.
http://www.milliestrust.com/ (http://www.milliestrust.com/)
These guys run courses, for a very sad reason.
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This one's really on an advice tip, based on experience this weekend, and perhaps a bit of catharsis too.
Your post is so moving, and full of love.
It seems the most important thing is something you don't need to worry about.
Well done.
Amazing :)
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http://www.sja.org.uk/sja/support-us/our-campaigns/baby-choking-the-chokeables.aspx?gclid=CPL2lqqIz8QCFW3LtAodYyYA4Q
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When my youngest was 12 months old, she picked up, ate and began to choke on a 20p piece. I picked her up by her foot, inverted her and slapped her back hard. The coin fell out and she was fine but I still to the this day don't know how I knew what to do! Glad it all worked out Tom and well worth raising here! :thumbsup:
As an aside, said daughter also picked up and munched (at various stages of development) a woodlouse, an ibuprofen tablet and several worms. She's 17 know and appears to have got over this unsavoury habit...
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Scary stuff, glad she's OK!
We had a minor panic when our youngest first got croup. I'd heard of it, but had no idea what it actually sounds like. We were mid weaning and had given her fish for the first time that day, so first assumption was it was an allergic reaction! Cue 999 call etc. Worth looking up croup on youtube so you know what it sounds like and what to do.
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My son as a toddler had the charming habit of punishing his mother for her misdeeds by screaming so hard he completely emptied his lungs, started choking and couldn't inhale again.
Since I didn't know any better about special techniques for small children, I got quite good at gauging the force on the heimlich manoeuvre to get the ribcage moving again without breaking it.
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Thanks chaps - looking into one of the Millies Trust courses now.
I think I'd always thought if she choked we'd get some kind of warning, she'd cough or whatever. The fact that it was the opposite - she just suddenly stopped like someone had pulled the plug out - that's one of the scariest things about it.
Also, I'd always assumed that if someone was choking, it's one smack on the back and out pops whatever's causing it. This was the opposite - it seemed like an age but it must have taken 60, probably 90 seconds - maybe even 2 minutes to get it out, and that was with Fiona hitting her on the back the whole time.
To think of all the times I had left her in the living room playing while I made a coffee, or left her in the high chair eating while I made my own breakfast...I'm sure we'll relax again but at the moment we're not letting her out of our sight.
As a note, one thing the doctor at A+E said is that unless you can see what's causing the blockage you shouldn't try and put your fingers in their mouth as you can end up forcing whatever's causing the choking further in.
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good outcome, can only imagine how stressful that was.
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Fuck me, 3T. If Una continues at this rate I expect you'll be dead of a heart attack by 45.
First the birth and now that fright? Let us not forget that 3T basically delivered his own child (I'm sure Fiona had some part in it as well) - which is probably the manliest "Don't worry, I got this" thing that anyone can do.
Well done, sir. You and your Fiona are clearly competent parents.
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Our youngest is a choker also and the reaction is indeed quite weird. As you say there's no coughing and throat clearing while pointing concernedly down your throat (a la "THE MOVIES") instead they do just go onto standby mode. Most odd. Anyway 'er indoors is bang up on this twatting the food out of children lark to the extent that when he first choked she was having a coffee with a friend and mid monologue (about bags or shoes I'd imagine) she picked him up by his ankles, slapped the blockage out and set the little maniac off running again without stopping speaking.
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It's now mandatory for all nurseries to have a millies trust trained member of staff I believe.
I'm delighted all is ok.
I understand In some parts of Europe Basic Life Support is a core part of the school curriculum.
See lifesaver.org for all the algorithms, adult and child, and interactive education. It's rather good.
Frankly.... As I've said before.... If as a member of our society and you don't know BLS... Well, fuck you. I truly believe we owe each and every one of us BLS. Esp for the rare occasion out on the hill.
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Sadly if we struggle to educate our children to the degree of basic literacy I think this would be a challenge too far.
PS I've been called on to give 'proper' first aid twice. I have a death rate of 50% (cerebral haemorrhage so not a lot I could do) so if you see me looking down at you (in the literal rather than metaphorical sense) remember your odds aren't great.
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I'll take them.
Check out that site, made to be understandable to the general public, wildly used to teach lay folk.
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I suppose the first criteria is to step forward and get stuck in and at least I won't shy away from that.
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:thumbsup:
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Fuck me, 3T. If Una continues at this rate I expect you'll be dead of a heart attack by 45.
First the birth and now that fright? Let us not forget that 3T basically delivered his own child (I'm sure Fiona had some part in it as well) - which is probably the manliest "Don't worry, I got this" thing that anyone can do.
Well done, sir. You and your Fiona are clearly competent parents.
If only Will - the birth was all Fiona's work...I just stood there agog while it all unfolded in front of me, and in this case it was Fiona doing the hard work while I panicked and called the ambulance!
To Sloper's point, I clearly need to work on my stepping forward and getting stuck in...
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Good stuff here... Now some bum wiping advice please!
My daughters (now 23 and 17) were well behaved, did as they were told and generally were a pleasure to bring up. This included general life skills learning like bum wiping. Now the munchkin (6) is a completely different kettle of fish, great fun and lovely but completely disinterested in learning life skills/doing things for himself and generally listening! He's pretty much mastered dressing and washing himself (though he would clearly rather not) but bum wiping is a continual headache! So...
1. Is this a "boy" thing?
2. Any tips on teaching bum wiping specifically?
Cheers...
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What, you wipe your own bum?
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bitty Will?
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It's a boy thing.
Our eldest is much the same, he is however awesome at lego. Swings and roundabouts innit?
On the helpful advice front after step by step instructions with worked examples we finally got somewhere. Flushing and hand washing remain distant dreams...
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It's a boy thing.
Our eldest is much the same, he is however awesome at lego. Swings and roundabouts innit?
On the helpful advice front after step by step instructions with worked examples we finally got somewhere. Flushing and hand washing remain distant dreams...
Hand what?
Have you tried those funny flushable wipe things? My eldest uses them. Not convinced on their environmental claims. I noticed a survey suggesting a marked rise in the number of wipes found on english beaches only a couple of weeks ago. Anyhow, they might be the gimmick he needs
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Being totally rubbish at listening, remembering and following instruction definitely seems to be a boy thing. I have no idea how my son's brain works sometimes as he has a photographic memory for historical facts, cricket stats, words and anything to do with numbers but sometimes still puts his shoes on the wrong feet and forgets to wipe his arse / wash his hair or hands or face....
I guess kids are just good at what they find interesting and with boys, learning how to clean themselves isn't high on the list of interesting things. Whereas Minecraft is.
:wall:
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Youngest daughter (6) is still in nappies at night and has similar issues in the cleaning department. She has a dairy intolerance.
This is extremely subtle and took many years to piece together a lot of vague symptoms.
Children with such intolerances don't complain about stomach ache, because they have always had stomach ache and don't recognise it as unusual or wrong.
My nephew, who had a similar, more severe intolerance, was still having "accidents" at 8 years old.
The symptoms are way too varied and subtle to detail here, but have a Google.
Though, youngest son (also 6), has no intolerances that we know of and still shit the bed a couple of weeks ago...
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Youngest daughter (6) is still in nappies at night and has similar issues in the cleaning department. She has a dairy intolerance.
This is extremely subtle and took many years to piece together a lot of vague symptoms.
Children with such intolerances don't complain about stomach ache, because they have always had stomach ache and don't recognise it as unusual or wrong.
My nephew, who had a similar, more severe intolerance, was still having "accidents" at 8 years old.
The symptoms are way too varied and subtle to detail here, but have a Google.
Though, youngest son (also 6), has no intolerances that we know of and still shit the bed a couple of weeks ago...
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Friends son (now 8) has multiple food allergies - and it took them about 3 years of mainly trial and error to work out what was bad for him... now its all fine....
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Thanks guys, glad to know it's a boy thing and I've not all of a sudden lost all parenting skills!
What, you wipe your own bum?
This was Nate's actual reply to me saying he was going to have to wipe his own bum for the rest of his life...
Flushing and hand washing remain distant dreams...
Ha!
Whereas Minecraft is
Totally!
funny flushable wipe things?
yeah we have these, I don't think he's quite grasped what they're for yet, but will persevere!
I've been hugely blessed to have three illness free kids. These matters are fairly trivial compared to what a lot of people have to deal with!
Thanks again...
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Being totally rubbish at listening, remembering and following instruction definitely seems to be a boy thing. I have no idea how my son's brain works sometimes as he has a photographic memory for historical facts, cricket stats, words and anything to do with numbers but sometimes still puts his shoes on the wrong feet and forgets to wipe his arse / wash his hair or hands or face....
I guess kids are just good at what they find interesting and with boys, learning how to clean themselves isn't high on the list of interesting things. Whereas Minecraft is.
Sounds about right. I was treated by 5 yo son to a lengthy explanation about garden birds the other morning (topic at school); which ones can be found where and when, feeding habits of each and how to differntiate males from females. But ask him to get undressed and put pyjamas on and 15 minutes later he'll be lying in his room with trousers half off, pyjamas half on, playing out some Lego scenario whilst reading a book.
Little sister (nearly 3) on the other hand is toilet trained, washes hands herself, and like to choose her own clothes and dress herself (well at least try to).
You would swear they were from different planets.....
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As an employee of your water and wastewater service provider, Andy, I feel duty bound to inform you that you are responsible for all the pollution incidents in Yorkshire, ever... maybe.
The wipes ain't flushable. They might get down the bog alright but they don't disintegrate in the sewer. Clogging pumps, clinging and clogging in sewage pipes, potentially being discharged during heavy rainfall if the discharge is not screened etc etc.
Nasty things. Don't flush em. Worst case scenario for you is flushing the shitter and the contents of the sewer coming back up into your bathroom.
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Never had a problem with the macerators or treatment systems using "moist toilet tissue".
Wet Wipes, yes.
Only surpassed by the incident of the Tea spoons and the case of the mysterious sweat shirt (I'll never workout how they flushed that bloody thing).
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Timely:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/soaring-sales-of-wet-wipes-have-contributed-to-increase-in-debris-on-beaches-and-fatbergs-10118017.html
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It's now mandatory for all nurseries to have a millies trust trained member of staff I believe.
I'm delighted all is ok.
I understand In some parts of Europe Basic Life Support is a core part of the school curriculum.
See lifesaver.org for all the algorithms, adult and child, and interactive education. It's rather good.
Frankly.... As I've said before.... If as a member of our society and you don't know BLS... Well, fuck you. I truly believe we owe each and every one of us BLS. Esp for the rare occasion out on the hill.
Just re read this. Sorry if its a bit strong, but for the purposes of this thread... Please go to the site.. And get a couple of hours night school / free emergency services tuition, please....
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Here's a fine old conundrum..
Kyle (5 last Xmas) was at holiday club at local centre. He usually goes there 3 mornings a week and 3 afternoons before and after school so knows it quite well. Tuesday was his first day there this holiday (he's been before at half term for a day) and they were doing an outside activity, and he "got bored" and decided to go home (half mile walk), crossing 2 roads along the way (which can get quite busy, but luckily not at 2pm) and went to our front door and tried to get in. He was spotted by a man out walking dog, and the two teenage neighbours were home, so they went and got him, took him to there house, and left a note on the door. Holiday club noticed he was missing and raised alarm, they went to our house and saw note, and went and got him. So fortunately no harm done, but could have been a very different scenario if he'd decide to walk down to beach, or been knocked down, or someone had taken him....
Obviously a failing on the part of the club, and they have put together an action plan to prevent similar things happening again and he was adamant he's "a big boy and can look after himself".
He's quite good at road crossing as we've drilled it into him, but how do you address stranger danger without making him paranoid, and reign in that adventurous spirit without crushing it.
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Shit the bed!!! You're very matter of fact about it Chris, I reckon my missus would have been kicking off big time! Glad it all worked out ok in the end...
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Blimey Chris - just worrying about him crossing the roads is enough eh?
Not sure how you do go about addressing 'stranger danger', as my daughter was always very shy as a youngster and hung onto our coat tails. My lad (Kyle also incidentally) was always no bother with stuff like this, so never had this worry.
Like you say - you really don't want to crush an adventurous and confident spirit. Most of my greatest adventures have happened just because I have gone off with strangers! As an adult mind you but my parents never really instilled a fear of strangers into me and for that I'll be forever grateful.
Teenagers often get bad press, so nice to see you have decent ones as neighbors.
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I bet that was a shock! Or was it one of those so 'out there' moments it felt bizarrely fine?
Though, this is in many ways a good tale. If you read the Daily Mail (etc..) its easy to think there is a constant stream of child molesters patrolling the streets in anonymous white vans waiting to lure people away - and your tale recounts decent, normal folk doing what 99% of the population would to to help.
Multiple GPS trackers sewn into every item of clothing.
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Where we live is pretty quiet, not like the badlands of Sheffield or Manchester. We were both obviously upset and concerned about what could have happened, but nothing did. Being alive is a series of near miss incidents anyway!
The club have said we can raise a complaint with the care commission, but as long as they are doing a full investigation and putting steps in place to prevent a repeat occurrence there's not much point.
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I bet that was a shock! Or was it one of those so 'out there' moments it felt bizarrely fine?
Though, this is in many ways a good tale. If you read the Daily Mail (etc..) its easy to think there is a constant stream of child molesters patrolling the streets in anonymous white vans waiting to lure people away - and your tale recounts decent, normal folk doing what 99% of the population would to to help.
Multiple GPS trackers sewn into every item of clothing.
Truth is, but the time we found out about the crisis was already over. Missus had to deal with it as I was up against a really tight deadling at work. We were thinking about attaching an http://www.itagfinder.com/ to the back of his skull.
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http://goo.gl/maps/rtCEk
here's the route btw. So many "what if"s. Newtonhill Bay is the only place on the coast for a fair distance without steep cliffs.
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Not sure how you do go about addressing 'stranger danger', as my daughter was always very shy as a youngster and hung onto our coat tails. My lad (Kyle also incidentally) was always no bother with stuff like this, so never had this worry.
Both of ours are quite confident with strangers, she's younger so normally follows his cue. If anyone came along and offered him a shot on their iPad, he'd happily wander off.
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Ours are exceptionally confident with strangers. Something which has only worsened since we opened the climbing wall and they spend so much time with strangers.
So we just flat out told them the dangers.
We also taught them some self defense and keep drumming it in.
They are, without doubt, the four riders of the Apocalypse and strangers have more to fear from them than the reverse (ask Andrei Burton, who was trying to film a MB movie yesterday on Dartmoor, with full film crew, drones et al, and my youngest Daughter kept barging into shot and asking questions).
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/09/036302b8d02fd5e704db20d1e8cd0aa2.jpg)
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Check this out!! (http://www.wallclimber.co.uk/product/climbing-bunk-bed/)
(http://cdn.wallclimber.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Bunk-Bed10.jpg)
Sorry for the MASSIVE PHOTO!!
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£800?
I could modify an IKEA one for a fraction of that!
Also
Not included
•Mattresses, Bedding, Children
:)
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a bit of inspiration for any other dad's who feel that they should be involved in more craft activities
(http://img538.imageshack.us/img538/262/sRXXV5.jpg)
super heroes, duct tape, recycling and weapons all in one
the Captain America shield flies briliantly
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Amazing!! Effort Rob:)
The Noodle and I made an egg box crocodile and a robot named Bob last year. This has got me psyched for a rematch! Nice one...
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have you got any of those super hero Mashers figures?
you can swap different body parts and accessories from different super heroes
we play that, but with us (instead of little figures), shop bought outfits and our own creations
crafting AND dressing up
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and fighting
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crafting AND dressing up
Sharpe jnr's two most hated activities!
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I don't think either of his parents are big on the craft scene
and their dressing up history is not something that is acceptable at kids parties
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I'd forgotten about the SS uniforms.
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gonna post?
please
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Don't think I've got any photos. Was for Pete Shale's birthday do at the Brincs many years ago!
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http://www.amazon.co.uk/Roald-Dahl-Phizz-whizzing-Audiobooks-Collection/dp/B00HYUOZR8
Definitely worth it for longer car journeys. Entertaining for parents and older kids alike. Must be on drugs to pay RRP though.
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Good call Chris! We got this on a deal from the Book People last year and it was a total bargain (can't remember how much we paid) has provided hours of entertainment!
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http://www.amazon.co.uk/Roald-Dahl-Phizz-whizzing-Audiobooks-Collection/dp/B00HYUOZR8
Definitely worth it for longer car journeys. Entertaining for parents and older kids alike. Must be on drugs to pay RRP though.
On a similar note we got a box set of Julia Donaldson audio book shit - Gruffalo etc. Ripped em to iPad, was good for the drive to Font.
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Yeah, we got those JD ones too. Kids love them, I can barely tolerate.
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Following on from Power Club post - mini-Tone/Sparrow is on the way.
Not sure if this is a god thing or not but unbelievably the due date is Una (mini-Tone no.1)'s 3rd birthday.
Wanted to post on here in case anyone didn't know about this - there is a test that can be done at 12 weeks to screen out various genetic abnormalities such as Downs, Edwards and Patau syndrome. We had it done this time round (after some of our NCT friends had an undiagnosed case of Downs with their second) and thankfully it's all come up clear.
I think some healthcare trusts can / do provide the test on the NHS, but you have to ask for it - our doesn't so we had it done privately - here's the link anyway:
http://www.thisismy.co.uk/non-invasive-prenatal-testing-nipt/nipt-non-invasive-prenatal-testing/the-serenity-test-for-pregnant-women-non-invasive-prenatal-testing/ (http://www.thisismy.co.uk/non-invasive-prenatal-testing-nipt/nipt-non-invasive-prenatal-testing/the-serenity-test-for-pregnant-women-non-invasive-prenatal-testing/)
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Congrats TTT! :thumbsup:
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Congrats 3T :)
In greater Manchester they would do he test for free if you were in their at risk group (based on age/lifestyle etc..)
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Yeah, I think we didn't qualify but thought it was worth it was Downs risk increases quite steeply post-36 apparently.
The footnote is that they can also determine gender with the test so despite us only being 14ish weeks down the line we already know what we're having.
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Congrats again!. And what flavour are you getting? Yes, various trusts offer the test based on risk. If we had lived in England we would have got it due to age, but not in Aberdeen (guess age is not the main health risk up here!).
Can't believe youngest is nearly 3.
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Following on from Power Club post - mini-Tone/Sparrow is on the way.
Congrats buddy!
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Congrats again!. And what flavour are you getting? Yes, various trusts offer the test based on risk. If we had lived in England we would have got it due to age, but not in Aberdeen (guess age is not the main health risk up here!).
Can't believe youngest is nearly 3.
Gonna be a laddie this time round - to be honest I was initially a bit disappointed when we found out Una was a girl, but having had a girl now I really wanted another one!
Will be a whole new adventure I guess with a boy, plus can't argue with one of each...friend of a friend really wanted a son but apparently gave up after daughter number 4!
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I personally don't think it matters. 2 of the same saves a lot of money on clothes and they are often closer, but our 2 are 2.5 years apart (boy and girl) and happily play together all the time. I'm sure the fighting will come though.
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I personally don't think it matters. 2 of the same saves a lot of money on clothes and they are often closer, but our 2 are 2.5 years apart (boy and girl) and happily play together all the time. I'm sure the fighting will come though.
So, I have two of each (aka "The Borg"). The handing down thing only works with bikes, because daughter #2 (youngest (4of4)) won't wear girls clothes (even pinches either brothers underwear and we had to get permission from the school to allow her to wear a modified uniform). Son #1 (9yrs (2of4)) and Son #2 (7yrs (3of4)) are the same size and Daughter #1 (11yrs (1of4)) is quite girlie.
They fight over anything and everything, especially things that seem so small and petty that no-one would ever fight over it. 3of4 and 4of4 being the worst. Despite our hopes, when we merged, four years ago; they alternate between best buddies and mortal enemies. 3of4 and 4of4 are three weeks apart in age. They look so similar, everyone assumes they are twins. They are way more immature than their siblings were at the same age.
3of4 (despite being fit and strong) can be so effeminate and 4of4 is such a thuggish Tomboy, that I frequently get punched by Mrs OMM for telling new acquaintances that "We have four kids, one of each"...
I find I have become quite shouty. It seems the only way to exert any kind of control. It is never enough to say, calmly, "Don't jump off that cliff"; I will need to explain it four times, individually, still have to shout it at least twice more and one of them will jump anyway; just to see. All despite them supposedly being quite bright (11 year old starts at Grammar in Sept).
They drive me nuts. My own wants and needs slip into a never-never land of "one day, maybe" but...
It's the best thing I ever did. It's another adventure to add to my list and probably the most terrifying and rewarding one to date. Certainly this is the first time I have been so scared of failure and so lacking in confidence in my ability to dodge bullets, that I wake sweating in the night.
Life is full, leaving little room for introspection, to remember what day it is or even what year it is.
All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. Looking at you, here, Dense.
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"We have four kids, one of each"...
That made me laugh.
Good luck with the quest. We can but do our best, I find most of the time you just have to go with your gut.
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TTjnr is nearly 7 weeks old now...
On reflection we've probably got quite a calm well behaved little soul (so far*) at night he sleeps for 3-5 hour stretches, so depending on when he gets off, theres only one or two feed wake ups in the night...
My observations on fatherhood/new family are:
1. Its relentless. Its never been too much, or impossible, or doing my head in (yet*) but it doesnt stop. It will not stop for a long time either I suspect! Relentless is the best word I can come up with.
2. There are no patterns. Everyone tries to link cause to effect, to come up with a reason why hes crying, or not sleeping. Its a new phase, or a new routine etc.. at this age, I think its all just pretty random (so far*)
3. The best thing pre-birth we bought was a changing table (its on top of a dresser). It fits in the toilet, and means we can get all the baby changing/cleaning/clothing shit in one place - plus its at a good height so the taller climber doesnt do his back in bending down to change him. Changing on the floor/a bed is crippling for me if I do it often.
4. Its looking like its becoming easy to get fat. For some fuckknowswhy reason our house now always seems to have cake/biscuits/chocolates.. I think its due to having steady streams of visitors who we all feel we should supply with cake/chocs etc.. and often they bring them with them. This coupled with a more 'indoor' lifestyle (due to baby not wanting to go running/cycling/climbing) means I seem to be regretfully putting on a couple of lbs. Plus mrsTT is breastfeeding the bairn, so she has a rapacious appetite - meaning any form of portion control has gone out of the window.
ANyway, these are just gripes/observations.. so far its all been pretty good. (though he only smiles for his mum... grr....)
:D
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Despite having got two children to adulthood* I'm not sure I've learnt a single lesson I'd feel confident passing on to a new parent.
* whatever that means.
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TTjnr is nearly 7 weeks old now...
......Anyway, these are just gripes/observations.. so far its all been pretty good. (though he only smiles for his mum... grr....)
Pretty much nailed it. Relentless is a good word for it. For the first 12 weeks or so it's pointless to try and establish routines, it just causes headaches and heartaches for all. If it cries stick a tit in its mouth. Eventually a routine will arise from the chaos. I always say expect the first 3 months to be total and continuous shit, and any times that aren't shit are a bonus.
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The handing down thing only works with bikes, because daughter #2 (youngest (4of4)) won't wear girls clothes (even pinches either brothers underwear)
They fight over anything and everything, especially things that seem so small and petty
I find I have become quite shouty. It seems the only way to exert any kind of control
Sounds familiar, my youngest (now 7) is a complete tomboy, fiercely aggressive, massively determined, restless yet with a huge self-destruct tendency. She'll only wear boys clothes, including pants. Always being referred to as "that little boy". Fortunately school are pretty lax about uniform, there's no way we'd get her into girls trousers let alone a skirt or dress.
We've given up on passing down from her elder sister, with (e.g.) coats and boots we now have to get them both to agree on before purchase, dead simple that.
She'll fight you over anything, make a suggestion and she'll disagree, just because. Tell her it's black and watch her prove to you it's white.
Shouty seems to be default followed by quick explanations before her eyes glaze over and she loses concentration before going and doing the same thing again and again and again.
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Sounds like she'd make an amazing politician.
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I find I have become quite shouty. It seems the only way to exert any kind of control
I too have become a bit 'shouty' over the years
This was making my giggle last night....
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/little-bastard-immune-to-good-parenting-20160309106969
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Sounds like she'd make an amazing politician.
Did I mention her tendency to blame someone/everyone else when it all goes tits up?
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Sounds like she'd make an amazing politician.
Did I mention her tendency to blame someone/everyone else when it all goes tits up?
Are we talking about offspring or partners here? ;)
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1. Its relentless. Its never been too much, or impossible, or doing my head in (yet*) but it doesnt stop. It will not stop for a long time either I suspect! Relentless is the best word I can come up with.
2. There are no patterns. Everyone tries to link cause to effect, to come up with a reason why hes crying, or not sleeping. Its a new phase, or a new routine etc.. at this age, I think its all just pretty random (so far*)
3. The best thing pre-birth we bought was a changing table (its on top of a dresser). It fits in the toilet, and means we can get all the baby changing/cleaning/clothing shit in one place - plus its at a good height so the taller climber doesnt do his back in bending down to change him. Changing on the floor/a bed is crippling for me if I do it often.
4. Its looking like its becoming easy to get fat. For some fuckknowswhy reason our house now always seems to have cake/biscuits/chocolates.. I think its due to having steady streams of visitors who we all feel we should supply with cake/chocs etc.. and often they bring them with them. This coupled with a more 'indoor' lifestyle (due to baby not wanting to go running/cycling/climbing) means I seem to be regretfully putting on a couple of lbs. Plus mrsTT is breastfeeding the bairn, so she has a rapacious appetite - meaning any form of portion control has gone out of the window.
ANyway, these are just gripes/observations.. so far its all been pretty good. (though he only smiles for his mum... grr....)
:D
All pretty much in keeping my experience!
On the relentless thing, it just keeps going from what I've experienced. I read a good quote about parenthood (weirdly, I think Lauren Laverne) that it's "...simple, but not easy - just like rolling a huge boulder up a hill..."
There's always something to deal with, just that the "something" keeps changing. If it's not establishing sleeping patterns it's teething, then when that's done there's eating / drinking, then toddling / walking, then potty training...
On the back thing - keep looking after it. Both me and Fiona got terrible back trouble about 1 year-ish in, I think it's easy to underestimate the strain on your back of all the bending down, picking them up, carrying them about etc.
We bought one of these for carrying which has been really good, (especially compared with a Baby Bjorn,which I'd heard can be bad for a baby's hip development?!) - either way I just found it more comfortable / better for the back than a BB.
http://www.johnlewis.com/ergobaby-original-baby-carrier-natural-linen/p2589061 (http://www.johnlewis.com/ergobaby-original-baby-carrier-natural-linen/p2589061)
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There's always something to deal with, just that the "something" keeps changing. If it's not establishing sleeping patterns it's teething, then when that's done there's eating / drinking, then toddling / walking, then potty training...
Someone once said to me the problems never go away, they just change over time.
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MrsTT's cousin in NYC works for Ergobaby... one is in the post :)
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I have two kids, one almost three, one almost ten months. I am currently on pat leave for the next two months (three months in all). The best thing we ever bought was an out n about double buggy when youngest was three months. Since that age he has almost exclusively been pushed around in that.
What's so good about it?
1. It is robust, has big wheels and goes over rocks v well. In the last few days off I have taken it with the youngest to trackside, Curbar top quarry, eagle stone, froggatt edge downhill racer area, rubicon (all the way to litt on mill through the swamp that formed at the weekend), hairpin and blackwell dale. That's just been with the little guy - but the double is awesome because the pack goes in his sisters seat, I don't have to compromise on what to take and the pad goes on my back.
2. He sleeps in it no problem which helps with occupying myself while we go to these places.
3. Also taken it all the way round deferent and Bowden - about ten miles - which I think would be a struggle with a carrier.
We waited until we *needed* a double before getting it, but because of the multi purposeness of having that extra seat I would recommend one of these to anyone. If I had my time again I would not bother with a single - we got a maclaren gathering dust, and I would get the cheapest possible / second hand cast off cot-style buggy for a newborn and get him/her into one of these soon as poss.
Occasionally you get caught out with a style or other barrier so I'm a bit nervous exploring/wasting a day going somewhere new but suppose should man up on wet weather days and explore.
Anyway, wanted to pass this on.
http://www.kiddicare.com/p/Out_n_About_Nipper_V4_Double_Pushchair_Raven_Black.htm?product_id=549292&utm_source=pla&affiliate=KC-google-shopping&gclid=CNSlzdnC3M4CFRa3Gwoddv4Duw&gclsrc=aw.ds
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I have two kids, one almost three, one almost ten months. I am currently on pat leave for the next two months (three months in all). The best thing we ever bought was an out n about double buggy when youngest was three months. Since that age he has almost exclusively been pushed around in that.
What's so good about it?
1. It is robust, has big wheels and goes over rocks v well. In the last few days off I have taken it with the youngest to trackside, Curbar top quarry, eagle stone, froggatt edge downhill racer area, rubicon (all the way to litt on mill through the swamp that formed at the weekend), hairpin and blackwell dale. That's just been with the little guy - but the double is awesome because the pack goes in his sisters seat, I don't have to compromise on what to take and the pad goes on my back.
2. He sleeps in it no problem which helps with occupying myself while we go to these places.
3. Also taken it all the way round deferent and Bowden - about ten miles - which I think would be a struggle with a carrier.
We waited until we *needed* a double before getting it, but because of the multi purposeness of having that extra seat I would recommend one of these to anyone. If I had my time again I would not bother with a single - we got a maclaren gathering dust, and I would get the cheapest possible / second hand cast off cot-style buggy for a newborn and get him/her into one of these soon as poss.
Occasionally you get caught out with a style or other barrier so I'm a bit nervous exploring/wasting a day going somewhere new but suppose should man up on wet weather days and explore.
Anyway, wanted to pass this on.
http://www.kiddicare.com/p/Out_n_About_Nipper_V4_Double_Pushchair_Raven_Black.htm?product_id=549292&utm_source=pla&affiliate=KC-google-shopping&gclid=CNSlzdnC3M4CFRa3Gwoddv4Duw&gclsrc=aw.ds
Mine are 10 and coming up to 8, best thing I ever bought was a larger beer fridge and some large wine glasses.
Rich
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Those Ergo carriers are great, just make sure you get one without a Velcro hip strap, pain in the arse when you've got your little one off to sleep only to wake them up with the sound of Velcro ripping apart! :no:
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Someone once said to me the problems never go away, they just change over time.
Just remember that Everything is just a phase, might be a good one or a bad one but it is just a phase and something else will be along to replace it soon.
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+1 to that.
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Someone once said to me the problems never go away, they just change over time.
and get more expensive...
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Well after having both in full time nursery care from approx 8 months to starting school, we are going to feel pretty well off come next September when the youngest starts school! I can't see it getting as bad as that again until they start Uni?
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Well after having both in full time nursery care from approx 8 months to starting school, we are going to feel pretty well off come next September when the youngest starts school! I can't see it getting as bad as that again until they start Uni?
Ha!
Wanna bet?
All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. Looking at you, here, Dense.
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If anyone is looking at carriers I would highly recommend getting in touch with a local sling library. Normally run by consultants who are trained and insured they can give you impartial advice on the best methods of carrying for you and your baby and make sure everyone is safe.
We love carrying and it has allowed us to get to lots of places a pushchair simply wouldn't be able to get (porth ysgo springs to mind!)
Ergo have a good reputation and seem to be really good carriers from what I've seen. Just please read this...
http://babyslingsafety.co.uk
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Well after having both in full time nursery care from approx 8 months to starting school, we are going to feel pretty well off come next September when the youngest starts school! I can't see it getting as bad as that again until they start Uni?
it made a huge difference to us when we didn't have to pay for a big chunk of child care - and free school meals for little kids was the icing on the cake (no packed lunch to make)
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The handing down thing only works with bikes, because daughter #2 (youngest (4of4)) won't wear girls clothes (even pinches either brothers underwear)
They fight over anything and everything, especially things that seem so small and petty
I find I have become quite shouty. It seems the only way to exert any kind of control
Sounds familiar, my youngest (now 7) is a complete tomboy, fiercely aggressive, massively determined, restless yet with a huge self-destruct tendency. She'll only wear boys clothes, including pants. Always being referred to as "that little boy". Fortunately school are pretty lax about uniform, there's no way we'd get her into girls trousers let alone a skirt or dress.
We've given up on passing down from her elder sister, with (e.g.) coats and boots we now have to get them both to agree on before purchase, dead simple that.
She'll fight you over anything, make a suggestion and she'll disagree, just because. Tell her it's black and watch her prove to you it's white.
Shouty seems to be default followed by quick explanations before her eyes glaze over and she loses concentration before going and doing the same thing again and again and again.
Yep, mine deafened half the climbers in Font because she couldn't reach a hold.
Then kicked her brother because he could.
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160825/38db6df462d6efcf743097552f1e9a39.jpg)
Then decided that this was suitable attire for a days Sport at Portland.
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160825/78c5ec1f6fbe691bb79462a701836c5a.jpg)
Yep. She stole her brother's boxers.
All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. Looking at you, here, Dense.
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she couldn't reach a hold.
Then kicked her brother because he could.
Definitely a tactic to remember next time I'm out with tomtom
By any chance is she excelling at school?
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she couldn't reach a hold.
Then kicked her brother because he could.
Definitely a tactic to remember next time I'm out with tomtom
By any chance is she excelling at school?
Yep, blew through the reading ladders and was free reading by the end of year one. Writes like a teenager too, cursive and all. Oddly, her three week older brother, writes like a spastic chicken, on acid, riding in an unsprung cart on a cobbled street, blindfold; but is "exceeding expectations" by a large margin in Maths.
All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. Looking at you, here, Dense.
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Snap. Kaitlin was on band zero until she noticed her friend picking up a level 3 when she started reading 3 books a night and didn't stop pushing until she ended reception on level 8 miles ahead of anyone else. Then likewise free reading in Y1. In Y2 they stuck her in a Y3 class to make up for a shortfall in numbers and she wasn't phased. She's too rushed and hyper to write neatly but blows her older sister away at maths. Teachers all love her, described as hard-working, polite, a pleasure to teach. It's baffling but no doubt best this way round.
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she couldn't reach a hold.
Then kicked her brother because he could.
Definitely a tactic to remember next time I'm out with tomtom
What was that? I couldn't hear you up here... :)
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she couldn't reach a hold.
Then kicked her brother because he could.
Definitely a tactic to remember next time I'm out with tomtom
What was that? I couldn't hear you up here... :)
I think the low PPO2 is affecting you...
All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. Looking at you, here, Dense.
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100% middle class question... but with the arrival of TT jnr, time has disappeared - so has time to go out shopping. Anyone any beta on online supermarket ordering/delivery etc..? I've never done it, and I just get the impression Occado is expensive and the rest are shades of efficiency/price as might be expected from their brand...
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I used to use mysupermarket (https://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/) with some success
also - different supermarkets have offers of money off or free delivery for new customers - I used offers from most of them at some point. setting up your regular purchases at first is a pain, but when you get used to it, it can be loads quicker/clickier
gone back to Aldi now I'm not so stuffed for time/mobility
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I've used Sainsburys for years, buy an annual delivery pass and it works out at about £1 per delivery, I'd use more fuel than that driving there and back.
In years to come it will work out cheaper than taking kiddy to the shop and having to give in to demands for all sorts of shite.
Rarely have a problem, fruit and veg is always decent, any issues you call an 0800 number and it gets resolved, any refunds for short life, missing or damaged stuff are given no question and usually rounded up (at least as vouchers) as a bit of an apology for the inconvenience.
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I'll second the shout for Sainsburys. My other half converted me, I used to insist we went to the shop and always came back with stuff we didn't need (I used to go to Aldi, so would inevitably come back with stuff like an LED fishing cap, wheel trims, nasal hair trimmer, 2 tonne car jack etc etc)
If you have a Nectar card too you can get even more savings at Sainsburys. We placed an order last weekend on Friday night to be delivered on Sunday, but found ourselves in a branch buying some emergency stuff on Saturday afternoon. Spent £5 something, and a voucher for £8 off my next online shop popped out with my reciept. Went home, amended the order and saved money.
Food is generally good quality too, although if you buy steaks you don't get the same opportunity to examine them all thoroughly first!
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Sainsburys for us. Got same annual delivery pass ting, usually have a weeks shopping arrive on a sunday first thing or evening. Makes meal planning and controlling your spending easy. Could not imagine going back to either wasting hours traipsing around supermarkets any more.
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If you have a Nectar card too you can get even more savings at Sainsburys.
And if you shop using a Sainsbury's credit card (fuel too) you accumulate even more Nectar points.
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CHeers all - good to get a consensus..
I'd looked at mysupermarket too - but figured I'd need to cut my teeth on one or more first. Giving Sainsburys a bash anyway (as I quite like them and have a nectar card too..).
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Despite having got two children to adulthood* I'm not sure I've learnt a single lesson I'd feel confident passing on to a new parent.
* whatever that means.
There's always something to deal with, just that the "something" keeps changing. If it's not establishing sleeping patterns it's teething, then when that's done there's eating / drinking, then toddling / walking, then potty training...
Someone once said to me the problems never go away, they just change over time.
My three are 23, 20, and 17. These two are spot on and I'll add a third.
Just when you start to think you've got it sorted, one of them will kick the chair out from under you. EVERYTIME.
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Having tried few, we've now settled on going to Aldi. I can do the shop in 30mins (sans sproglets) and it's 2/3rds/half the price of the competition. Despite my initial misgivings, it's good stuff too. Key money savers are wipes, nappies, baby food pouches etc.
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I must admit I do still have a soft spot for Aldi. I get a weekly email from them telling me about their latest offers and events etc. I haven't done it myself, but I think you can order some of their stuff to be delivered. The day you can get Aldi to deliver everything to your door will be a good day.
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The day you can get Aldi to deliver everything to your door will be a good day.
I imagine you'll have to hold the front door open ready then they'll drive past without stopping whilst throwing the items through your open door.
Aldi is great but it's really suited to having the time to go and look at stuff and pick up bargains, then go to a mainstream supermarket to get the stuff they didn't have or don't sell. I can't be doing with that any more.
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I imagine you'll have to hold the front door open ready then they'll drive past without stopping whilst throwing the items through your open door.
Last time I was in I was the only person at the checkout with two other empty checkouts and they still threw everything at me. It's like it's some kind of challenge.
It is a little annoying they don't have everything but I have to pop to Quality Save anyway for the lovely Brains 'Barry Island IPA" at 69p a bottle. I'm classy me....
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Aldi's alright... I like their ground coffee and the meat is decent...
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I think Aldi staff have to clock in and out on checkouts are on some kind of targets system to get paid where they have to do a certain number of customers/items per hour, so hence why they fire shit through, then sprint off leaving the chair spinning and smoke coming off the conveyor belt.
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You probably won't have time to buy different things from different places anymore but highly recommend the 'Mamia' stuff from Aldi; wipes and nappies are well cheap. The nappies have contained everything my 10 month old has managed to fill them with so far and not had any problems with bum rash.
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Thats a good shout on the nappy front.
TT jnr has recently moved from shitting 3-4 times a day, to once every 2-4 days. Unsurprisingly this has resulted in a considerable increase in volume... had our first shit up the back of his nappy episode yesterday. Most entertaining.....
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Wait til first solids. You'll get a couple where you think, might as well put him in the bath and start again!
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Wait til first solids. You'll get a couple where you think, might as well put him in the bath and start again!
I copped one of those yesterday and Una's 2 and a half!
Plus one on the Aldi nappies, we used them all the way through. Plus if you're dropping in to re-stock you can pick up a wetsuit and a sandwich toaster while you're there.
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On the subject of Aldi, is the secret to how cheap it is just down to in store efficiencies? I'm just really struggling to believe that they can offer the prices they do without fucking over the farmers/producers/their staff or the customer (we all know how much cheaper it is to produce unhealthy food that's full of sugar and other nasties)? We had the same experience of ordering online through Sainsbury's and then converting to Aldi when we realised that a weekly shop was about half the price. I've been wondering for a while what we might have traded in to get that financial saving.
I noticed yesterday that my bag of Aldi coffee didn't have a Rainforest Alliance or a Fairtrade logo on it. That doesn't seem right since we, as a society, have spent the past decade or more influencing supermarkets to stock only (or nearly only) Fairtrade coffee, bananas, high welfare chicken etc. Presumably we were willing to pay (or at least said we were willing to pay) for these higher ethical standards; it would be a shame if it was all abandoned at the first whiff of a cheap deal.
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Straying from the thread - separate discussion regarding (online) supermarkets?
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Regularity of dumps seems to vary a lot, mine once went 11 days without then pretty much filled the child seat in the car with baby shit overflow. No nappy would have stood a chance that day.......
My advice would be pack shed loads of wipes, a towel or two and more than one change of clothes once you get over 5 days without a poo. Spare child seat for the car too in an ideal world!
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You can get waterproof liners for car seats, more for toilet training though. Worth figuring out how to get covers off car seats though, especially once kids decide they might start get carsick.
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On the subject of Aldi, is the secret to how cheap it is just down to in store efficiencies? I'm just really struggling to believe that they can offer the prices they do
Just German efficiency applied to pile-it-high-sell-it-cheap I reckon, all suppliers are listed on their website, including Fairtrade, all looks legit.
Not sure everything is Fairtrade though and I have noticed that less of their packaging is recyclable which probably saves them a bit.
I'd guess their profit margin on food is very, very low and they rely on shifting big volumes of all the random non-food stuff (there were scrums when the kids ski gear came into stores last year) and possibly wine to bump it up a bit.
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They also have 4-5 staff in store when a conventional supermarket would have 20-30
As a regular Aldi shopper I'm always amazed how Tesco/Sainsbury's staff can scan thing so slowly on the checkout.
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I noticed yesterday that my bag of Aldi coffee didn't have a Rainforest Alliance or a Fairtrade logo on it. That doesn't seem right since we, as a society, have spent the past decade or more influencing supermarkets to stock only (or nearly only) Fairtrade coffee, bananas, high welfare chicken etc. Presumably we were willing to pay (or at least said we were willing to pay) for these higher ethical standards; it would be a shame if it was all abandoned at the first whiff of a cheap deal.
Couple of points:
1) They sell a smaller proportion of Fairtrade products than other supermarkets but that is no surprise, they are a budget retailer and the premium for such goods isn't inline with their customers reasons for shopping with them
2) You chose to shop their and buy their non-fairtrade coffee. If it's that important to you........
3) There coffee is pretty poor imho. Buy some decent Fairtrade coffee from elsewhere.
Not having a go at you personally but the responsibilities fall on both the retailer and the consumer.
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Aldi put really small Fairtrade logos on their coffee bean packs - how's that supposed to help me impress the chicks? you can hardly see them unless you're specifically looking
(http://i65.tinypic.com/2hnltae.jpg)
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Every now and then we try Aldi and we find that there is the odd reasonable saving or decent product such as the bread/ pastries. But a lot of stuff is tasteless such as their tomatoes, the coffee is shit and I've never had a bottle of wine that I would buy again.
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Climber Steve McClure: All children should be exposed to a bit of danger – it does them good (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/fatherhood/climber-steve-mcclure-all-children-should-be-exposed-to-a-bit-of/)
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Not exactly "good" (probably quite bad actually... like, uh, very) but, anyway...
The youngest took a hard tackle in a school football match two weeks ago (she's team captain) and snapped her Tibia; so she's been in a full length cast ever since.
Lily being Lily, she's pissed off with the restrictions already and insisted on writing her own training program. She's also a bit of a "Rocky" fan (and AC⚡️DC too), so we decided to have a giggle and make a training montage.
All exercises from her head...
https://vimeo.com/190317677 (https://vimeo.com/190317677)
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Yesterday was No.2 Daughter's 8th birthday, so today was birthday treat day, fun day out, exciting activities etc, you get the picture.
Except, No.2 Son came into our room at 07:30 with "my tummy hurts" followed by Bleaurgh! Splatter! Splatter!
So I stayed home with him, a bowl, a scrubbing brush and a bad mood.
The darling family have just returned with a present from Exeter Xmas market, to make me feel better.
Bless.
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161203/879811ab895d783bcfd429e0c4874c55.jpg)
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Probably in vain but looking for some advice from the Dad crew.
So Una (nearly 3, will be in Feb) is normally a brilliant sleeper - we can put her down at 6:30pm and she'll go right through till 6:30am, 7am the next morning.
However, in the last month or so she's suddenly taken to waking up in the middle of the night and insisted on coming into our bed where she ends up shuffling about, tossing and turning and generally not sleeping / keeping us awake.
No amount of "it's still night darling" / this is your special bed / even me getting to her bed with her seems to help. She isn't crying, upset or anything so I don't think it's nightmares. Only thing I can possibly think of is that she's subconsciously aware of her brother's imminent arrival (Feb 2017), and is after some attention?
We're absolutely at our wit's end, especially as Fiona is c.7 months pregnant so not exactly sleeping brilliantly at the moment. Would it be inhumane to buy a couple of door bolts?! ;) :-\
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This: Gro-Clock - http://www.argos.co.uk/product/9103348
Basically a clock that you set to light up with a picture of the sun when it's time to get up. You can set it to have stars glowing at night time too. It also comes with a handy story about why it's important to sleep all night and not get up before the "sun".
We had to get one for our eldest (4yr old) after our 2nd arrived as he would get up an hour before he needed and disturb the new arrival without realising what time it was. We've never had the problem of him getting in our bed though. Maybe incentives would work with that? Stickers for being good etc. have always worked well with ours.
The clock has worked perfectly for us, he hasn't got up in the night or too early in the morning since.
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We had exactly the same problem.
My wife said "You can sleep on the floor in here, or go back to your own bed"
Sibylla slept on some cushions on the floor about three times then figured out that her bed was preferable.
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I was surprised how acutely my daughter (then just 4) felt the arrival of my son - it was even more disruptive for her world than it was for ours.
Her sleeping went off the rails, mainly due to jealousy over our son sleeping in a basket in our room. Through guilt, my wife and I abandoned enforcing the 'Gro-Clock' which previously had worked brilliantly - two years later we're only just getting back on track.
I'd say setting a routine, sticking to it and providing constant reassurance that your daughter isn't being replaced will get you past the disruption that's inevitable when your newborn shows up.
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That sounds like the sort of solution you need. Mates kid started it and they let him get away with it, still does it age 7 most mornings between 5 and 6am.
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Is the jealousy over a 2nd arrival more of a girl thing?
Our son has never seemed anything but psyched to have a sister thankfully. I must admit we did worry he'd feel left out, but it seems to of had the reverse effect and he seems more grown up/independent.
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Is the jealousy over a 2nd arrival more of a girl thing?
It might be. At 2 and a half my son is still "Smash. Eat. Cuddle. Sleep" whereas my daughter was discussing her relationship with her nursery friends at the same age. Based on a sample of my house, I'd say girls are way more socially aware.
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Never underestimate the power of a reward chart - stay in your own bed 5 nights in a row, get xx (no not the newest CD by the band the XX).
Also could be a development leap which can cause disturbed nights - a major breakthrough in co-ordination, speech, feeding, potty training?
Alternatively could just be needing less sleep? Try a slightly later bed time? Wind down with books in bed, etc, establish a routine?
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Is the jealousy over a 2nd arrival more of a girl thing?
It might be. At 2 and a half my son is still "Smash. Eat. Cuddle. Sleep" whereas my daughter was discussing her relationship with her nursery friends at the same age. Based on a sample of my house, I'd say girls are way more socially aware.
At age 4 1/2 my daughter is more socially aware than my 7 year old son!
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There was a funny post on social media about Gro clocks. Put it this way, they don't work for everyone.
Your wife might appreciate a separate bed/room.
We had same issue after #2 was born. I ended up with #1 in my bed a lot. TBH I can't remember exactly how we solved it (selective memory). Probably lots of me lying on his floor until he'd gone back to sleep, then sneaking back to mine.
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Is she getting cold?
We have had an unbreakable rule that no kids spend the night in our bed, ever. They can come in for a quick cuddle or very occasionally hang out until they fall asleep and we then move them back to theirs. Too many tales of friends whos kids come in to the bed 5 nights a week when they are 11.
If she is not upset, can you allow her to read in bed for a bit when she wakes up, rather than come to you?
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If she is not upset, can you allow her to read in bed for a bit when she wakes up, rather than come to you?
I'd be impressed if she could...
So Una (nearly 3, will be in Feb)
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ok, look at books rather than read them.
Mine are 8 and 11 now and I struggle to remember anything about what they were like when they were little. Maybe I shouldn't be offering any advice in that case...
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Thanks for the responses all - I had a talk with her last night about what happens when mini-TTT mk II arrives and she seemed receptive to that, not sure if it's pure coincidence but she remained in her bed all last night.
All good ideas to explore if this continues though - Sam, we also had a zero tolerance rule on co-sleeping, but in the last year or so at the weekend we've encouraged her to come in with us in the mornings as it means we can all chill, read papers (or kid's books to Una in my case) etc like we used to before kids. Not sure if we might have unwittingly created a rod for our own backs now!
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I'm all for chilling out in the morning, all sat in bed reading or what have you..
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Next doors 3 yo girl has co-slept with the parents from the word dot. I'm not convinced (far from it) that this was a good plan given the wailing/tantrums etc.. we hear at many odd hours of the night/evening/morning...
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Too many tales of friends whos kids come in to the bed 5 nights a week when they are 11.
Friend of a friend has 2 sons aged 20 and 23 and neither of them will stay at home alone. They were big co-sleepers. Just saying like.
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We do mass pile on, every morning. Two alarms set (first the Disturbed's cover of "Sound of silence" @ 7 and then Muse break in with "Uprising" @7:15) and kids are evicted, still singing. I wanted "Fire starter" but Mrs OMM says that's just too much for mornings.
Eldest Daughter just spent the last 48hrs exploring the world of vomit, so youngest (who shares a room with her) has been in our bed. Her leg is in a cast too.
Never.
Ever.
Again.
At 4am, the 8 year old had more bed than the two adults put together!
And was, somehow, flipped head to toe with her mum; who she kicked in the kisser with the cast.
Co-sleeping?
F#*k that!
Little sod snores too.
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The Cat is more of a nuisance than the baby at the moment (sleep disruption wise)...
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Like so many other things, think it's horses for courses - I reckon with Una we were just lucky that she is / was a good sleeper, got the hang of it pretty quick and once she's out nothing wakes her up. I actually set off a smoke alarm in a holiday cottage we were staying at which was so loud it actually hurt my ears, sorted it all out and then went to check on her and she was still flat out enjoying her nap!
Having been through it myself now, I think basically you just do whatever it takes to get to a state where you're not stumbling round like a zombie through sleep deprivation yourself. Oh how I am looking forward to embarking on that journey once again in a couple of months.
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Remember only half the things you learn from #1 will work for #2. They like to keep you guessing.
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TTT, when will that happen (not stumbling around like a Zombie)?
All of mine are over 8 and yet we still had world war 3 this morning, cos she (No.4) hit him (No.3), or he (No.2) hit him, or something and thats why (one of them, you pick) threw the beanbag that knocked over the xmas tree.
It was his/her/his fault and all explanations shall be screamed.
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Matt - I get the sense that your being outnumbered may not be helping your situation! ;)
Either that or we have just had a charmed life, and what we think is chaos is actually a serene utopia other parents would kill to live...
All that said, we've both said after this one, that's it - no more. My other half was way, way more sick and tired early doors with this pregnancy and I was terrified we'd got twins so were quite relieved to hear we're only increasing the household population by a third.
Chris, totally ready for that, plus this one's a boy which I suspect will be a whole new challenge / learning curve.
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They say boys are hard babies and easy toddlers. Swings and roundabouts though - some things will be harder some easier; older son guaranteed would fall asleep in seconds of going in pram, or car, daughter would only sleep in bed or sling. We had real hassles getting him to sleep though the night, she did it herself, no problem.
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Matt - I get the sense that your being outnumbered may not be helping your situation! ;)
Either that or we have just had a charmed life, and what we think is chaos is actually a serene utopia other parents would kill to live...
All that said, we've both said after this one, that's it - no more. My other half was way, way more sick and tired early doors with this pregnancy and I was terrified we'd got twins so were quite relieved to hear we're only increasing the household population by a third.
Chris, totally ready for that, plus this one's a boy which I suspect will be a whole new challenge / learning curve.
For the love of all that's holy, stop at two!
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So, Alex (No.3) had THE BUG on Friday and threw up all night.
Stacy (No.1)had THE BUG on Monday night and threw up all night.
I felt like crud all day today, but managed not to throw.
Did we dodge the bullet?
Is it over?
Is it bollocks.
Lily (No.4) just burst from her bedroom and redecorated the landing carpet in hues of chewed chip, masticated broccoli and minced lamb.
Another sleepless night beckons! Oh the joys of parenthood...
Important lessons learned this week:
1. The Vax carpet cleaner is the dogs doodas. Worth every penny.
2. Wipe clean mattress protectors. Thank f#*k.
3. When a friend says "is it ok for little Jimmy to come to Lily's birthday party (last Friday), because we don't think he's infectious anymore" , say NO.
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Chris, totally ready for that, plus this one's a boy which I suspect will be a whole new challenge / learning curve.
Since our #2 (boy) arrived 6 days ago, my main challenge has been catching random long range weeing on the changing table. He's a kicker so anything absorbent I put on there stays for about 3 seconds. Unlike the girls, it can go in any direction...
Otherwise he's been much calmer than his big sister and will actually lie in his cot for a while when he's not asleep. Actually our other challenge is stopping his 2 year old sister crushing him when she comes in for hugs and kisses.
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Chris, totally ready for that, plus this one's a boy which I suspect will be a whole new challenge / learning curve.
Since our #2 (boy) arrived 6 days ago, my main challenge has been catching random long range weeing on the changing table. He's a kicker so anything absorbent I put on there stays for about 3 seconds. Unlike the girls, it can go in any direction...
Otherwise he's been much calmer than his big sister and will actually lie in his cot for a while when he's not asleep. Actually our other challenge is stopping his 2 year old sister crushing him when she comes in for hugs and kisses.
Congrats! (on the new arrival of course, not on the piss fountains...)
Think I'll be in exactly the same boat as you then - Una will be 2, nearly 3 when her brother arrives. I had heard people say that boys are a calmer babies, but then again I know a lot of people with toddler-age boys who are regularly waking at 4/5am ready to go for the day. As Chris said, swings and roundabouts!
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Next doors 3 yo girl has co-slept with the parents from the word dot. I'm not convinced (far from it) that this was a good plan given the wailing/tantrums etc.. we hear at many odd hours of the night/evening/morning...
My brother's 3 1/2 year old co-slept, his wife also believed in feeding when ever requested, I think it made it much more difficult when they initially tried to move her to her own bedroom at around 9 months, which took a few tries until they more or less succeeded at about 2 1/2. Until 3 months ago (when their second arrived) every night she still came into their bed at 3 in the morning for a feed and slept there the rest of the night. I believe my brother would decamp to the toddler's room to sleep the rest of the night on a mattress on the floor as there was no space in the bed for him....
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Chris. Congrats.
To avoid piss fountains get a damp cotton wool ball and make a small dimple hole in it with your finger - then pop that on his Hampton whilst changing him. Midwife friend taught us that trick..
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Chris, totally ready for that, plus this one's a boy which I suspect will be a whole new challenge / learning curve.
Since our #2 (boy) arrived 6 days ago, my main challenge has been catching random long range weeing on the changing table. He's a kicker so anything absorbent I put on there stays for about 3 seconds. Unlike the girls, it can go in any direction...
Otherwise he's been much calmer than his big sister and will actually lie in his cot for a while when he's not asleep. Actually our other challenge is stopping his 2 year old sister crushing him when she comes in for hugs and kisses.
Congrats! Fun ain't it...
I had to look after my lad, mostly singlehanded. I always had a nappy ready before starting, opened up; that I just laid over him as soon as the dirty one was moved. He found it harder to kick off, wedged between his legs.
It was rarely the nappy that actually got put on him.
My youngest daughter is still in pull ups at night, at 8 years, because she doesn't produce (enough of) the hormone that should wake her up to pee. Of course, at that age, the quantity of pee often results in serious overflow and late night sheet changing. I knew nothing about this condition until she came along, but we might be dealing with it until she hits puberty. Fortunately, with the vomiting bug she has now, it meant she had a meaty mattress cover.
Still had to decamp her to the lounge, with Mrs OMM for the night, so her sister wasn't kept awake too. So woke to this:
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161209/5d42f1a284157de33d8cd712347fe88d.jpg)
She and the dog have a very special bond, the dog has been fussing over her since before we realised she was sick.
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Since our #2 (boy) arrived 6 days ago,
Congrats mate. Another wild trip.
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Thanks everyone.
So far I'm amazed what I'd managed to blank out from the first time, little things like waking up to be on the receiving end of 5 minutes of blind incandescent fury from your baby when you carry out a pre-feed nappy change at 3 in the morning. Who would have thought there could be so much anger in such a small package.
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Hell hath no fury like a hungry baby.
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Who would have thought there could be so much anger in such a small package.
Wait till he's 3! (congrats by the way : ))
My Dad advice now that my two boys are 3 and 5 is this: If you have any nice furniture either a) sell it, b) put it into storage or c) give it away.
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d) cover it with bubble wrap. Along with the entire house.
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e) get a girl child so that the boys can see an alternative way of doing stuff
(two girls and a boy for me - the boy is large and active and has fortunately learned a lot from his sisters)
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Our smallest is a girl.
"Bull in a china shop" springs to mind.
Or Genghis Kahn on acid.
One of those.
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Our 2 year old girl rampages and climbs and swings on everything. Daddy is quietly proud, Mum frequently horrified. At the same time she's a girlie girl already when it comes to clothes...
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Well, it was going to happen sooner or later, and it happened today. The lad flashed a bloc that took me three goes.
[/prouddad]
I expect in the next couple of years I will be campaigning vigorously for a ban on stumpy twunt cheating beta.
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Our 2 year old girl rampages and climbs and swings on everything. Daddy is quietly proud, Mum frequently horrified. At the same time she's a girlie girl already when it comes to clothes...
Hmmm...
We're not there with "girls clothes", she's just not on that page.
She was allowed to choose her own outfit for a, very formal, wedding earlier this year:
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161210/4d01f156715b3957566f358ef91bf8e8.jpg)
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161210/5a20ca577d072f9e41ee76607519d2fc.jpg)
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161210/bf0aea89274d6c8b7220772121c0b3ef.jpg)
Well, it was going to happen sooner or later, and it happened today. The lad flashed a bloc that took me three goes.
[/prouddad]
I expect in the next couple of years I will be campaigning vigorously for a ban on stumpy twunt cheating beta.
Nice though ain't it. [emoji16]
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Cots.
Time for TT jnr to have a cot rather than the snuzzshizzpod thing thats strapped to the side of the bed.
I like the look of the Ikea ones (decent but cheap - look nice, removable side, couple of levels) but MrsTT seems in favour of more expensive ones that also convert into 'toddler beds' etc... Is this any use? Or will he be wanting a Thomas the tank engine/Gansta stylee small bed at that point anyway...
Or does it really not matter at all (probably the most likely option!).
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Just get a cheap second hand barred cot, from any NCT sale near you. A new mattress to fit is probably a good idea though.
We then got one of the IKEA extendable beds which both kids have used (sometimes even simultaneously).
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What Chris said - we got a hand-me-down cot which served us fine. Just get a new mattress (think there's a minimal risk to spine etc development re-using an old one, but you can't be too careful etc), but you can pick them up in Mothercare etc relatively cheaply.
Once Una was 2 she graduated to her "big girl bed" which is just a normal pine single bed. We were a bit worried about her falling out of it so just had a rolled up blanket on the non-wall side under the fitted sheet as a bolster. I think she's only fallen out of it twice!
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I had one of those ikea one's, worked well through the stages (high, low, side off) then Chloe went straight into a full size bed. The three quarter/extending ones seem a bit pointless to me.
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Similar experience for us, got a decent 2nd hand cot, John Lewis I think, bought a new matress for it. Once they grew out of that, skipped the whole 3/4/extending bed and went straight to single bed. Rather than sides etc if your concerned about falling out of bed 'dream tubes' are a good alternative https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hippychick-Dream-Tubes-Bed-Bumpers/dp/B001PMXD5Q
Not cheap but work well for all but the most determined sleep-crawler.
They had the added advantage of when visiting relatives etc, we just took the dream tubes sheets and pretty much any 'bed' (including tents etc) felt like their own.
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Cheers all.
Tbh, the cot is the easy part. Getting mrsTT to clear out the 20 years of crap in the room to be jnr's is the real challenge ;)
I'm hoping that the insertion of a cot will expediate matters :)
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had a rolled up blanket on the non-wall side under the fitted sheet as a bolster.
You can also get a long foam wedge, which seemed to work well. Bed guards seem more hassle than worth, as child will be able to climb over them and they become more of a hazard.
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+1 on the Ikea converta-cot-extenda-bed-thingy. I had one that did both of mine, so eldest went into a real bed @~ 3.5 years and it became a cot again. At that age they don't (as often) fall out of bed...
Much.
It is funny when they do though.
Number 3 child managed to fall out of top bunk a year or so ago. After initial "Oh Fark! What has he broken?" type panic, we swiftly moved to laughing at the confused, dazed expression of disbelief on his face.
Sympathy is replaced by merciless piss-taking, in this house; for all but injuries requiring medical intervention...
Some of those get laughed at too.
Especially eldest daughter's friction burnt bum after an ill advised go on the big drop slide at "Crealy World of Adventure", whilst wearing short shorts.
Her brothers and sister sang "This girl is on fire" all the way to hospital (and for the following two years, now, when ever she gets too cocky).
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When our 2nd was born at the start of December, very shortly after our previously quite grown-up 2 year old started trying to climb into the carry-cot, sit in the baby car seat, lie down in the snuzz-pod and announced she was now to be called baby-Ta-ta (Ta-ta is how she says Katherine...) She also went from being willing to walk 10 minutes to the local shop to demanding to be picked up at any walk further than 20 yards 'because she's a little girl'. I understand this is an attention seeking thing and we try and give her as much as possible (not easy when Mum is breast feeding and K is fed up with Dad and wants Mum...). At the start it was a cute joke but is now probably the biggest pain in the bum we have to deal with (things like Lizzy has to carry #2 in the sling because K is in the pram, instead of K walking/on buggy board and #2 in the pram...).
Anyone else had this and any insights on how long it is likely to go on for?!
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With girls it is usually till they leave home.
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Our daughter, 2 at the time, did this after her brother was born. Her alter ego was called Baby Jack. It was annoying and after a while she stopped doing it, but god knows how long it went on for..
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My youngest are virtually twins. Alex is three weeks older than Lily, both blond and blue eyed and reminiscent of each other and the "Children of the Damned/Corn". One charmed French lady referred to them as "Deux Mignonne", a few years ago (age 3) and they have been known in this house as "The Dominions" ever since...
Anyway, they're 8 now and considerably more immature than their older siblings were at the same age, emotionally and behaviourally.
Lily still wants to be carried sometimes (shoulders now) and is the one who gets up after being put to bed, cries if Mummy goes out of an evening, has to check where we are all the time etc etc. Alex, though we suspect a touch of Aspergers, is less clingy but a real handful in the "making bad decisions " department. In other words our youngest are time and attention consuming monsters.
At first, this lead to their older brother becoming quite needy too and competing for attention (Older sister already 7 when we blended, was always independent and self supported). It looked like it might be a real problem, he was five at the time and (given his father's murder two years earlier) quite vulnerable.
But, and here's the important part; it was just a phase. Not that we had a plan and more by luck than judgement; giving the elder kids more responsibility and treating them as (slightly) more grown up, really paid off. Giving them jobs (feed the dog etc) really helped, but asking them to help look after the younger ones (run their bath, fetch PJ's from the laundry, read to them type thing) and praising them for it, seemed to give them a sense of maturity....ish.
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So my hope this will blow over in a month or so is probably optimistic?!
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It depends.... on the child.
Could blow over quite quickly.
Only thing I can suggest is to play on the benefits of being older and not being a baby?
Our son (on the other hand) just about ignored his sister (2.5 years younger) until she was about 6 months old and actually started interacting with him.
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We get the outbursts of 'No mummy milk for baby Andrew' at feeding time and have to be aware Katherine doesn't casually walk over the top of him or sit on him if he's on a mat... Also if she's feeling ignored she will probably give him an extra heavy pat/borderline slap. On the other hand she can be affectionate and tries to interact when she wants. 2 year olds, what do I know...?
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Not limited to fathers...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2kp_IDpI6E
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So we had the baby last night...TTT Jnr came at 9.13pm.
Another home birth, this time planned though so we had the assistance of a couple of midwives who were brilliant. Fiona chalked up another zero pain relief birth. What a beast.
No name as yet, but my suggestion of Ghostface Jerry Twotone Sparrow has so far fallen on deaf ears.
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Congratulations.
I usually suggest Wolverine Optimus as first names, but no-one has agreed so far.
Otherwise adding Sparrow / My son the Watermelon at the end will do.
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[emoji3] A ray of sunshine for sure! Best of luck!
And, Jean-Luc... [emoji851]
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How about Tom? Excellent news pal - glad all well.
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Effort!!! Nice one :) :beer2:
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Cheers all. Has been totally different to last time...this one sleeps and eats for a start.
We finally sorted a name, bit left field but we settled on Clement Stanley Sparrow.
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:2thumbsup:
I should have called my second 'Inclement'.
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Anyone got any experience of ten year olds making up ridiculous lies (at school) to try and make themselves more interesting or popular? Just been called into school about it and they had nothing useful to say.
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Anyone got any experience of ten year olds making up ridiculous lies (at school) to try and make themselves more interesting or popular? Just been called into school about it and they had nothing useful to say.
Yes.
Although younger (8).
My lad still does this, though mainly for attention or sympathy.
Unfortunately, I can't offer any solutions. I'm hoping it's going to pass.
He has the excuse of being bereaved and he certainly learned to use the "My Mummy's dead" thing to get sympathy and treats from strangers, but we think there's more to it. We're talking about this and other behaviours with an Ed Psyc as of yesterday. If the Quack comes up with any good strategies, I'll pass them on.
We just confront him with it at the moment. Works for around five minutes...
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:thanks Mat just come to light wih our oldest. Think we might get a bit of pro advice, just hard to know if we're overreacting. School are going to do some sort of 1 to 1 thing with her.
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Any advice on dealing with a fevery screaming 7 month Old? Calpol got his temp down from 39 to 37.5.. but he's still pretty angry/upset....
Or is it a case of tough it out.... (for all three of us!)?
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You can use paracetamol (calpol) and ibuprofen alternating if the temperature isn't coming down with calpol alone. Caveat to this is that ibuprofen shouldn't be given if it is chicken pox.
Hope it helps.
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How are you administering the Calpol? I remember paracetamol suppositories doing the trick.
Although perhaps he was just struck dumb with surprise.
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Calpol comes with its own mouth syringe thingy.. just been out to try and score some baby ibuprofen - cheers for the tip. Sadly both our local dealers (Tesco and Coop) were out.
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Ps thanks both.
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I bring the room temperature down if fever is really high. You can use a fan, or possibly open window but keep an eye on it given freezing temps at mo.
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Tom, we've always got a lot of drugs at ours so if you're ever struggling, you can drop me a text/pop round.
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Having both Calpol and Neurofen on hand is a must in this house. We give it alternately at two hour intervals, so each is still at peak when the next is delivered. Cold/cool flannel, stroked across the body helps; as does keeping them as bare as possible.
Had a few humdingers when mine were little and my daughter once began to exhibit signs of Febrile convulsions with vomiting and diarrhoea and a 42* temp aged ~18 months.
We put her in a cold bath until it dropped below 40* and then she was carted off by Ambulance to the Jebel Ali med centre. I actually keeled over (and Grand slammed) the next day and joined her. Woke up two days later to be told we'd had (suspected) Cholera.
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Cheers Galpinos - he's better today (not needing constant drugging..) and sleeping now \o/
Was quite a surprise how quick he went from being a bit narky (not uncommon) to full on screaming red faced sweating fever sufferer.
Omm - scary shit...
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They tend to do that - and the temperatures can spike really high. As I understand it babies have much less ability to regulate their body temperatures. But as you say, its very scary at the time. Glad he's feeling better today though.
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We had to take our eldest to children's hospital once when he was about 1 or 2, for some reason he got really distressed and hot one night, high temperature, really not himself, calpol not working, unresponsive, delirious, really scary. Phoned NHS Direct who then ordered ambulance etc. I followed behind in car, managed to get parked, walked into the kids A&E and he's sat there shirt off playing with some bricks right as fucking rain.
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We had to take our eldest to children's hospital once when he was about 1 or 2, for some reason he got really distressed and hot one night, high temperature, really not himself, calpol not working, unresponsive, delirious, really scary. Phoned NHS Direct who then ordered ambulance etc. I followed behind in car, managed to get parked, walked into the kids A&E and he's sat there shirt off playing with some bricks right as fucking rain.
The healing power of A&E. We've had similar with our eldest daughter, leg totally gave way playing football, could weight it, pain etc. Get traiged in the Children's A&E, by the time we get to see the doctor she can hop on that leg pain free. Very frustrating!
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We had to take our eldest to children's hospital once when he was about 1 or 2, for some reason he got really distressed and hot one night, high temperature, really not himself, calpol not working, unresponsive, delirious, really scary. Phoned NHS Direct who then ordered ambulance etc. I followed behind in car, managed to get parked, walked into the kids A&E and he's sat there shirt off playing with some bricks right as fucking rain.
The healing power of A&E. We've had similar with our eldest daughter, leg totally gave way playing football, could weight it, pain etc. Get traiged in the Children's A&E, by the time we get to see the doctor she can hop on that leg pain free. Very frustrating!
Yep, eldest son did exactly the same with his arm. Except got all the way to having a Back slab fitted and was sat waiting for X-ray when he decided it didn't hurt anymore...
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Just one thing to be aware of is Calpol can reduce temperature too far... Ours went from 39 down to 30 which is hypothermic - not uncommon apparently but not pleasant either.
Think general advice for fevers isn't to cool down them down too much (reference: open windows & fans?). Certainly cold flannels are a no-no according to NHS.
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Just one thing to be aware of is Calpol can reduce temperature too far... Ours went from 39 down to 30 which is hypothermic - not uncommon apparently but not pleasant either.
1. I thought this was very rare?
2. 30! wholly fuck, that's servere hyothermia? Were they ok, no side effects? You must have shat yourself? What did they do to reverse it?
Think general advice for fevers isn't to cool down them down too much (reference: open windows & fans?). Certainly cold flannels are a no-no according to NHS.
I thought that that was just that the research had said it made no difference, not that it was a necessarily bad thing.
My two respond to illness very differently. The oldest spikes a fever, >38, pretty much every time she gets ill, the youngest has only had two fevers, one of which was meningitis.
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Yeah - was a bit of a "holy shit" moment... just stuffed her in the duvet between the two of us and it started to come back up again. She was awake and lucid the whole time so we weren't too panicked - all the NHS stuff was saying only to worry if you couldn't rouse them or console them. She was sitting there playing with her cuddly panda! Odd child.
It hasn't happened since - think it was actually the first time we gave her Calpol - not sure if that's related.
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We borrowed a neighbours IR thermometer (one of those you stick in the ear and press a button) and it was ace... so much so we went and bought one (they had a fancy braun one that was £40 in the shops - we found a TomeeTipee one reduced from £35 to £20 in tescos (still have some left)). SO much easier than trying to keep a regular (digital) thermometer in their mouth/armpit/arse long enough to get a good reading - and less distressing..
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Our daughter used to get temp spikes at the first sign of an illness, temp up to 40s, febrile convulsions etc, can only echo the calpol / neurofen double up, and keep doing it for longer than you think you need to (like 24 hours after the temp spike) to prevent recurrence. Also, google a video of a child with croup cough sometime so that you will know what it sounds like and not go into panic when your child first does it an hour or so after trying fish for the first time.
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If you're Sheff based some good stuff here for kids of all ages...
http://www.scienceweeksy.org.uk/
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We borrowed a neighbours IR thermometer (one of those you stick in the ear and press a button) and it was ace... so much so we went and bought one (they had a fancy braun one that was £40 in the shops - we found a TomeeTipee one reduced from £35 to £20 in tescos (still have some left)). SO much easier than trying to keep a regular (digital) thermometer in their mouth/armpit/arse long enough to get a good reading - and less distressing..
We've got one of them too - I'd just be wary that they can be a bit wayward on readings. A few times when Una's had a temp that's been coming down I've gone up to check on her, done a reading and it's been 40 degrees, checked again and it's back to 37, done it again and it confirmed 37.
I had my first experience of her having a stomach bug last weekend, including multiple vomming in the car on the way back from a kid's party, alone in the car with me, on the day I'd moved her car seat behind the driver's seat so I could fit the baby seat behind the passenger. Stressful.
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Yup. Noticed variation with the in ear ones... when he had a temp it was pretty consistent- but when lower not so. I do both ears and take a average...
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Been practicing my parenting AND coaching skills this evening.
The Lad: dad, why am I getting calluses here? Points at base of fingers.
Me: son, the holds on the boulders you're doing are too big.
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Yup. Noticed variation with the in ear ones... when he had a temp it was pretty consistent- but when lower not so. I do both ears and take a average...
You should use three similar thermometers of each type and take the mean of the Mode for each type...
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We'd like to set aside a modest amount each month for the sprog such that when they reach adulthood they have some savings that can be put towards first car/hover board/house/nuclear fallout shelter or whatever the times may necessitate. We'd like to put the money aside in such a way that they can't access it readily themselves until they're a certain age.
As far as I'm aware, the options are a junior ISA (not sure if there's any advantage to one of these unless it's likely that the spring will start earning enough to have to start paying tax on the interest - unlikely), a junior savings account (just like a bank account? Some paying up to 4% at the moment which seems generous), or start paying into some sort of investment fund (possibly slotted into a junior stocks and shares ISA, but again, not sure if that's actually advantageous unless they're going to earn stacks), or by children's bonds, which don't seem to pay huge amounts of interest but sound like less hassle to manage than a savings account.
Would anyone like to offer any advice on this or direct me to a resource which will help us get to grips with the different options?
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Send me £50 a month and I'll assure you a good return....
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No wisdom out there?
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Been looking at this myself a bit, we top up child benefit to £100 and just save that each month.
I don't know how old you or your partner are Will but if you're around late 30s then have you considered putting it into a lifetime ISA, you'd get the government 25% bonus between now and turning 50 and then continue to receive interest until it matures when you're 60. One drawback is that you lose the bonus if you make any withdrawals so worth reading up on it.
I'm considering this as myself and my partner are around that age and it would mean the money maturing around the time our daughter hits early/mid 20s. When I looked at the Junior ISAs I didn't like the fact that this money would be in your kids name and accessible to them when they turn 18. I got a chunk around that age and just pissed it up against the wall!
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I'm afraid it's like any savings advice, you either gamble with the type of fund you describe, or go for a reasonably high interest bank account. We did the latter but have never tinkered with the stock market.
I believe the best future you can give your offspring is to lead by example, if they experience their parents being wise they are more likely to do the same. In saying that we have stuck a reasonable amount away for the wee guy that would have paid off some mortgage.
It's a very personal decision.
My folks had a fund for my sister, but nothing for me, we're in comparable situations now, despite (i guess, maybe because) the differing approach :devangel:
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I figured this was a good investment for our nipper :)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170610/50bc6ecf832d8a0cc3ffc4446bb1a5a9.jpg)
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So the latest bump in the road...as we're at a total loss on this thought I'd see if anyone had any ideas!
So Una (3.5 years old now) was relatively easy to potty train, as of about 6 months ago completely out of nappies, no accidents, going on potty (and then toilet on booster seat). She was also pretty good at getting up in the evening to use the loo if needed, though it was a rarity. We kept her in a pull-up at night, but had a few weeks of them being totally dry in the morning, so were discussing whether to do away with them completely.
However...
In the last month or so she's totally regressed - she started getting the potty back out during the day (they were still in the downstairs loo, I've since put them away in the shed) and wanted to use it rather than going to the loo, and every night her pull-up is drenched so she's clearly been weeing in it during the night, and a few times she's pooed in it as well. We've also had a couple of accidents (both types) during the daytime too.
To be fair to her, there's been a lot of change recently - arrival of little brother 5 months ago, she also changed nurseries about the same time (but this all pre-dates this regression by a while). I can't think of anything in the last month or so that has significantly changed in our lifestyle that would cause this.
We thought we'd cracked it, but clearly not. Anyone else experienced this? Just a phase?
Any help appreciated as we literally have no idea what to do...
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To be fair to her, there's been a lot of change recently - arrival of little brother 5 months ago, she also changed nurseries about the same time (but this all pre-dates this regression by a while). I can't think of anything in the last month or so that has significantly changed in our lifestyle that would cause this.
Frankly if I were Una I think I'd find those changes quite significant enough, especially the appearance of The Rival for mum & dad's attention. So it could just be stress bringing about a weakening in newly acquired habits that require willpower & mental effort to maintain. Or a reversion - conscious or otherwise - to the good old days. Or an attempt - conscious or otherwise - to re-claim a larger share of mum & dad's attention.
Source: not a child psychologist, but do have some experience of being a parent (and, less recently, a small child)
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Look, you can't stress about it.
I know because we have and it made no odds.
Of the four kids, our youngest are both 8 now and one is still in pull-ups at night. She can be dry for weeks and then wet the bed several nights in a row and not wake up or notice. We tried waking her an hour after putting her to bed and marching her off to the loo, for several weeks; it just , made her evil and overtired the next day.
We went to the doctor.
It takes many visits to get a referral to a specialist, we still don't have one. First it was "come back if she's still doing it at six years", then it was "give it a little more time, she's small for her age" and now it's "she'll have to see the School nurse for a referral ".
We went to the school nurse (who is more like a District nurse and not at a school at all), who proceeded to tell her off, harshly and lectured her Mum on discipline and how "you should make her change and clean her own sheets, then she'll learn how difficult she's being".
Yep, she actually said that.
A rather stupid old lady who should have retired, as the next GP we saw described her. However, we have to go back through the system again and request a different nurse, apparently...
The one thing that came out of our worries, that frankly shocked us, was opening up to other parents, of children in the same classes as ours.
Of the 40 kids that represents, 12 are having the same issues. 12 eight year olds still wearing pull-ups at night!
And then we started to hear from parents who had themselves had issues well into their teens.
The next thing we know, there's a facebook group formed and it turns out that it's an incredibly common thing.
Now we know it's not the end of the world, she goes off to Camp with the Navigators and takes pull-ups and doesn't get bullied, because we opened up about it and found many others hiding it. All of us trying to protect our kids from the bullies and dreading those first school residentials or Scout/Navigator camps or Sleep overs etc. and we didn't have to. It's normal (for a given value of normal).
At 3.5?
Nah. Not a problem.
If there is one thing we've come to realise, they are all different, develop at different paces, in different directions and us worrying over it makes slightly less than the square root of FA difference; except that it stresses both us and them.
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Wot Matt sed
Nuffink to add
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We went to the school nurse (who is more like a District nurse and not at a school at all), who proceeded to tell her off, harshly and lectured her Mum on discipline and how "you should make her change and clean her own sheets, then she'll learn how difficult she's being".
Fucking hell. What happened when you asked her for a second helping of gruel?
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We went to the school nurse (who is more like a District nurse and not at a school at all), who proceeded to tell her off, harshly and lectured her Mum on discipline and how "you should make her change and clean her own sheets, then she'll learn how difficult she's being".
Fucking hell. What happened when you asked her for a second helping of gruel?
It wasn't pretty (and neither was she):
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170705/84a192ce650d59d75aede1e7c0c506ab.png)
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I wouldn't stress it but you could try 10 x stickers for £2 to spend on plastic tat at Tesco for 10 x dry pull ups.
Cheaper than buying pull ups.
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I'd also chalk it up to regression due to new arrival.
Stress of change with new arrival, attention seeking, any of the above.
As has been said on here before, good or bad it's just a phase.
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PS, as a separate dad related YYFY, just paid last ever nursery fees.
Counting the cost of having both of them in full time makes me feel a bit ill.
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Thanks all, if only for the reassurance.
Once we'd got both of the kids off to bed last night we got a chance to draw breath, talk it through and in the cold light of day I think we know what to do about it.
That seems to be the problem with these kinds of stressful situations (in the last few months we've had to contend with a vomiting bug, chickenpox, a fall down the length of our stairs and into the radiator at the bottom, and now this!), getting the distance from it when it's happening to make a measured decision, and that had been exacerbated by having another one!
And Chris - nice one on being free of the fees!
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I'll add my penny to the "don't stress, it's just a phase" hat.
My eldest did something similar, we just put her back in pull-ups for half a year until she'd got used to the general life changes. Shes fine now, though still uses a "bay voice" when she thinks our youngest is getting too much attention.
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Stairgates.
TT jnr has today learnt how to go up stairs... any recommendations or all they all much of a muchness?
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Depends on the layout of your stairs/hall/landing - one that fits! I'd avoid the pressure mounted ones which have a bar across the bottom as it can be a trip hazard. I think it's recommended to have one that you screw the brackets to wall at the top of the stairs anyway.
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Also be aware that you might need an extra high gate at the top of the stairs depending on layout. I'm in a standard Shef terraced which has a step to the left and right of the stair top so if you put a standard gate in at the top your kids can climb over if standing on that step. A mate's kid broke his leg by doing this and taking a tumble last year. We got an extra high gate which you could alter to fit a variety of widths. Was an arse to fit as each of the four points where it attached were different, ie wall, bannister, skirting board etc.......
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Also be aware that you might need an extra high gate at the top of the stairs depending on layout. I'm in a standard Shef terraced which has a step to the left and right of the stair top so if you put a standard gate in at the top your kids can climb over if standing on that step. A mate's kid broke his leg by doing this and taking a tumble last year. We got an extra high gate which you could alter to fit a variety of widths. Was an arse to fit as each of the four points where it attached were different, ie wall, bannister, skirting board etc.......
Yes, we had the same issue in that we've a step up to the right at the top of the flight of stairs. We couldn't find a gate that would actually fit as our newel post at the top of the stairs is turned so only has a flat section at the top and bottom to mount the stair gate. I ended up getting a wooden gate and modifying it by attaching ~25cm of 18mm ply to the bottom.
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We had a few places in our terrace where the position of doorframes/architraves/skirting boards were problematic and ended up padding a few out with thin blocks of wood. Some longer screws and better wall plug are also handy as these gates can tend to wobble themselves out of the walls with constant use, especially if you're fitting into 100-year old walls.
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We have an old terrace too, but with only one turn at the top (so you go up and there's a step turning a right angle right if that makes sense).
We've always been of the opinion that we shouldn't baby-proof. Never had a stair gate, using the theory that the worst that would happen if she did go down them, at least she'd be careful in the future.
All been fine until about a month ago when she took the full E8 whipper right from the top, followed by Jean-Mihn Trin-Thieu-ing herself head first into the radiator at the bottom of the stairs. She was fine/lucky though, bit of an egg on her swede and a bruised ego but to be fair she is a lot more careful now!
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We just have one on the top. We got it for our eldest and just left it. The main reason is they are both daft and the chance of them taking a tumble (steep terrace stairs with a cupboard to hit at the bottom) whilst cracking out some dance moves on the landing is pretty high.
We had a non-baby proof plan originally but there are only so many trip to A&E one can cope with......
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Stair gate was the only baby proofing we did and absolutely no issues at all. Ours was one with the bar across the bottom and like someone said was a bit of a trip hazard but we only had stair gate at the bottom
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One set of brother and sister in-laws went down the no stairgate route. The thinking is that if you have a stairgate then they don't learn to use stairs properly. My wife was quite keen on this idea but, having learnt that the leading cause of death and serious injury in 0-4 year olds is falling down the stairs (I think it switches to being knocked down on the roads when they hit 5), I'm no longer convinced. They might learn how to get down the stairs, but it doesn't take much to distract a 2 year old and take their focus off the task in hand.
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I'd be surprised if garden trampolines weren't #2 on that list then!
We are quite lucky in that we have a door in the living room between that and the stairs - and up until recently she hasn't been tall enough (thanks Dad genes) to be able to open it, plus most of time if she's upstairs one of us would be with her.
My other beef with stair gates from other peoples' that I've seen is that normally the toddlers have worked out long ago how to just open them anyway, and it's visiting adults that can't fathom out how to get past the "child proof" gate!
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One set of brother and sister in-laws went down the no stairgate route. The thinking is that if you have a stairgate then they don't learn to use stairs properly. My wife was quite keen on this idea but, having learnt that the leading cause of death and serious injury in 0-4 year olds is falling down the stairs (I think it switches to being knocked down on the roads when they hit 5), I'm no longer convinced. They might learn how to get down the stairs, but it doesn't take much to distract a 2 year old and take their focus off the task in hand.
Someone once said to me, about all aspects of child development; "can you imagine that child (Z) will not be able to do (X) by age (Y)?"
In this case, "not learning to use stairs" seems a bit trite. Could you imagine that by age (say) 4, they would not be able to use stairs? I'd worry at that point, but mitigate the risk until then.
Also, if they're smart enough to open the gate, stairs shouldn't still be a issue, but perhaps you need to ensure they're not too advanced on their plans for world domination....
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I'd be surprised if garden trampolines weren't #2 on that list then!
I though they were #1 cause of A & E visits.
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I'd be surprised if garden trampolines weren't #2 on that list then!
I though they were #1 cause of A & E visits.
Quite.
We know a couple, both GPs who have told their kids in no uncertain terms they can pretty much anything else for birthdays etc but a garden trampoline is never gonna happen.
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I must have missed this thing where having stair gates means your kids don't learn how to do stairs. Absolute bollocks. Are the people coming up with this anti-vaxers too by any chance! Kids with gates still use the stairs, just under appropriate supervision.
Same argument would be to not put a fire guard around a fire cos it stops your kids from learning how to deal with serious burns.
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Kids with gates still use the stairs, just under appropriate supervision.
(http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/sparks-flying-as-hammer-hits-nail-on-the-head-picture-id128431568?s=612x612)
Same argument would be to not put a fire guard around a fire cos it stops your kids from learning how to deal with serious burns.
I think I have heard some people say something very similar to this.
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[quote author=tommytwotone link=topic=13237.msg555352#msg555352
We know a couple, both GPs who have told their kids in no uncertain terms they can pretty much anything else for birthdays etc but a garden trampoline is never gonna happen.
[/quote]
However, given the sample of friends we know with kids, there have been no incidents of tramopline related injury, in spite of most of them having one / access to one. Most common injuries seem to be related to snow / sledging / ice slips, slides and trips. I accept the is may be restricted to Scotland though.
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Ooh! I missed the debate!
Big thanks to Murph who bought along a couple of no longer needed stairgates to Rubicon today.
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[quote author=tommytwotone link=topic=13237.msg555352#msg555352
We know a couple, both GPs who have told their kids in no uncertain terms they can pretty much anything else for birthdays etc but a garden trampoline is never gonna happen.
However, given the sample of friends we know with kids, there have been no incidents of tramopline related injury, in spite of most of them having one / access to one. Most common injuries seem to be related to snow / sledging / ice slips, slides and trips. I accept the is may be restricted to Scotland though.
[/quote]
Yep.
We have one, we all climb, mountain bike, kayak (sea and ww) etc and even though the dog ate the safety netting three years ago; all our A&E trips and broken limbs have been Football injuries.
Apart from one notable Skateboard/shin interaction which still carries the family stitches record (non-surgical).
However, I recognise this is much akin to my kids favourite response to my desperate cry of "GET DOWN FROM THERE BEFORE YOU KILL YOURSELVES !"; which is "but I haven't yet".
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A quick medicine administration question or two..
TT jnr has tonsillitis 3 weeks after his chest infection :( and we've been given oral AB's to give him (he's 13 months). For his chest infection the AB's tasted ok - but these ones are MINGING. I tried a drop and it was vile - so administering his drugs is not good (oral syringe rather than spoon)...
2q's - are there different 'brands'/mixes of penicillin and some will taste a better than others (so I can ask the pharmacist and if necessary go else where next time around) - If so which are best...
Q2 - any nice ways of delivering the foul medicine other than the calpol syringe in the cheek method? This stuff is so vile tasting (it's bright red) that you'd need to dilute/mix it with a fuck tonne of yoghurt (etc..) to mask its evilness..
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What exactly have you got? Amoxicillin? Izzy has just has a two week course for her pneumonia and it seems to go down fine but I'm sure we've had a red version that was a total fight.
No decent technique advice apart from the squirt and hope......
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I think the first stuff was amoxycillin (creamy coloured) the bright red stuff we have now is phenoxymethylpenicillin...
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That's the same stuff Amelie and Laura had for strep throat which is why you've got it for tonsillitis I assume. They are both penecillin based but no idea why one is better for chests and the other for strep. I could ask Laura this evening.
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If the kid won't take one, tell them and get another. We've had to do the same, some are utterly rank, i wouldn't be able to take them.
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I might try that.. take the bottle back..
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Ok - so pharmacy didn't have any alternative flavour etc.. so had to go back to the doctors (walk in clinic) and have another consult with a doctor (90 min wait) where they wrote me an alternative scrip for the AB he'd had earlier in the year.
I had to go to three pharmacys to get it though!! Quite an afternoon. Thanks for all the advice - a good result.
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A Q for those who have travelled (flown) much with their little one(s) - *we have not yet..*
We've a family do in Morocco Easter 2018 - over Easter Weekend so flights are always going to be expensive etc..
There are two options for us
(a) Ryanair from Liverpool... 06:30 flight there, 10am flight back etc.. (£580 with all the bags and shit) eek...
(b) EasyJet from Manc... 16:30 flight there, 18:55 flight back (£790 all in - big eek...)...
Manchester is miles easier (10 min down the road) but getting to ScouseAirport isnt too bad esp at that time of the morning etc.. so my main Q is - for any seasoned child travellers: Are we better flying early and having a lively toddler on the flight (he'll be 20 months by then) or flying late and having a potentially sleepy or/and grumpy toddler on the flight (3.5 hours fly time..)..
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Personally I'd go with a flight at a sensible daytime time. Unless you have a kid who's regularly up and ready to roll at 3am.
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Personally I'd go with a flight at a sensible daytime time. Unless you have a kid who's regularly up and ready to roll at 3am.
At the moment he's ready to roll every two hours throughout the night :D
Point taken though...
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Depends how well they sleep. I've had a couple of lovely flights when my eldest slept on my wife whilst I watched the in flight movie!
To de honest, it's much of a muchness. Some kids seem to travel ok (mine have been reasonably easy though the youngest is displaying pesky tendancies), some are just a pain.
Remember to pack the ipad full of CBeebies downloads and headphones. The other thing that I think are great for that age are the crayola drawing packs that the colour is in the page, not the pen. They have a set of pens that have coloured tops but the nibs are all white. They get to colour in without the stress of them decorating you and/or the plane as well.
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Yeah, what ever you do is as likely as the other to be the wrong/right thing.
A key tip that worked well for us is to have a new thing to do for every 15 mins of the flight. Don't have to be massive things, but enough to keep them occupied/diverted.
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The Manc return flight is just as bad as the early flight out of Liverpool, given that it's a 4-hour flight. Child will be knackered on return.
Air Moroc to Casablanca?
Mrs T_B flew to Australia when our youngest was 21 months. It wasn't as bad as expected. Lots of comics, toys etc.
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In my experience manchester is a far shitter airport than liverpool.
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We flew to Alps with our 2, 1.5 and 4. Son (4) sat with iPad for whole flight, didn't stir. Daughter (1.5) was like a kangaroo on speed, would not sit down, looking over seats, bothering everyone, wanting to go up and down aisle, flush toilet, etc etc. Seriously would not sit still, until she sat on my lap to land where she promptly fell asleep and had to be carried through customs, luggage collection, picking up hire car, and woke up again as we got onto autoroute.
In summary; doesn't matter what you plan for them, just do what's easiest / cheapest for you, as it may be a piece of piss or a nightmare.
Handy to have a bottle for them to suck on while taking off to help their ears to equalise the pressure though.
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Thanks All.
TB - has to be to Marrakesh....
Nik - the big advantage of Manc is my record from wheels on ground to bum on my sofa is 25min....
Comforting to know there is not a best option (seriously - that helps). We’re meeting up with 12 other people there so it may well come down to when they are going etc...
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Thanks All.
TB - has to be to Marrakesh....
Nik - the big advantage of Manc is my record from wheels on ground to bum on my sofa is 25min....
Comforting to know there is not a best option (seriously - that helps). We’re meeting up with 12 other people there so it may well come down to when they are going etc...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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We had a family trip to Megaslam wrestling a couple of nights ago.
Oh
My
Days
This is the single greatest thing to do with kids, I had such a good time. From start to finish we were all just drawn along on this crazy spectacle of....
well I don't know really but it was brilliant.
Honestly the best however much the wife spent getting tickets she's ever spent.
Like a pantomime only AMAZING.
Big shout out to the twenty something lads behind us who clocked our young kids and so didn't swear and told all their mates to watch their language and came up with some of the most classic one line insults I've ever heard.
I cannot overstate just how brilliant an evening this was.
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A quick medicine administration question or two..
Q2 - any nice ways of delivering the foul medicine other than the calpol syringe in the cheek method? This stuff is so vile tasting (it's bright red) that you'd need to dilute/mix it with a fuck tonne of yoghurt (etc..) to mask its evilness..
Realise I'm a bit late to the party on this one and hopefully small person is now all better but for next time, friends have mixed medicine into Yoghurt when kids are reluctant to take it. I say this as a parent with no medical qualifications but maybe someone on here who is qualified could say whether or not it is likely to have any negative impact on the drugs...?
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Not medically qualified, but when our little one was on phenoxymethylpenicillin, it was supposed to be on an empty stomach (4 times a day, at least 1 hour before eating and 2 hours after eating: scheduling nightmare!). The leaflet in the box also specifically mentioned that guar gum (commonly in ice cream and other desserts) could cause issues with absorption.
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Any advice on "table top" pets? Kids found some brine shrimp / sea monkey and swamp monster / triop kits in the toy shop and got all excited about them. I know sea monkeys are nothing like they used to pretend they looked like in old American comics (i still remember the disappointment) but these triops things look a bit different?
Otherwise any suggestions? We had goldfish and silkworms when we were kids but not much else. Anything that is not endangered / unethical to keep and doesn't require an extension to the house / cages in the garden / is so fragile it can be crushed by a child / leaves hair on the furniture / shit on the lawn. Oh yeah, and isn't horrifically expensive.
Thanks
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A friend of ours has an aqaurium type thing that he has just put some sea/rockpool water in along with some seaweed covered rocks from the beach. To start with there wasn't much seemingly going on but now it is rammed with various things, shrimps, a couple of sea urchins, aenemones, weird alien shit etc. It's very cool to look at.
I dunno about the ethics of such things, or anything about the pumps/filters required etc. But it was genuinely mesmerising to watch and a real visual lesson in the 'life in its many weird and beautiful forms is all around us' mould. I think he was going to keep it for a bit then just put it all back in the sea and get some new seawater to start again.
Only cost is the tank and a dribble of electric for a pump/filter I guess??
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In spring we get hold of tadpoles from friends gardens and raise them into frogs.
Dead easy to start with, just need a tank and some pond weed and feed them a frozen spinach leaf every other day, can keep them inside or out. Need some rocks and fish food later on, all info online easy enough.
Kids get to see them grow legs then change to frogs which is quite exciting to see the changes happening.
It's a temporary thing so if they lose interest despite the developments then you're not stuck with an unwanted pet.
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We have mice.
Table top sized housing, weekly cleaning routine for the munchkin (teaches some responsibility etc), cheap, cute and cheerful!!!
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Recently got a syrian hamster. Pets at home give away the 'old' ones that haven't managed to sell. :wavecry: Cage and setup cost about £50 but after that they eat hardly anything. Similar setup to mice. Early days but kids haven't lost interest yet. Even I think he's quite cute.
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We did the Hamster thing, at one point reching four of the little buggers.
The warning here, is that despite this house being somewhat accustomed to death; their departure still caused a deal of smokey eyes etc.
Currently on rabbits.
Originally as house pets but now banished outside due to previously unrealised allergies...
We once had an aquarium full of fish, now down to a single Neon Tetra, who appears to be immortal; though they never elicited any attachment from the kids.
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We have guinea-pigs. Relatively low outlay probably about £100 all in. Quality little characters, you can really interact with them. Need fed, bathed and cleaned out regularly but doesn't take long and is easy.
On a side note, I'm one week into the new lads life. Sleep deprivation is peaking I'm slowly unravelling from the edges, I've drank a bottle of fine Sauvignon Blanc to myself in the kitchen in record time...... :ninja: :alky: :oops:
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I know the OP didn't want furry things, but I have to agree Guinea Pigs are brilliant. Low maintenance, personable and funny.
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How old do you reckon kids need to be before you get them a hamster / guinea pig / similar?
My eldest is 4 1/2 yrs and would be keen, but I think she is maybe too young? Ideally I’d like her to be old enough to take responsibility for cleaning out it’s cage (otherwise muggins will end up doing it), but I think she might be a way off that.
Even if she is old enough, will one of the younger two kids (2 1/2 yrs and a 10 months old) murder any pet?
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We waited until our daughter was old enough that looking after them could be her responsibility. For us that was 10. She feeds them, cleans them out thinks about who can look after them when we are away etc (with lots of reminders at the beginning and less and less now).
Otherwise it becomes just another job for the stupid parent who bought them.
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How old do you reckon kids need to be before you get them a hamster / guinea pig / similar?
My eldest is 4 1/2 yrs and would be keen, but I think she is maybe too young? Ideally I’d like her to be old enough to take responsibility for cleaning out it’s cage (otherwise muggins will end up doing it), but I think she might be a way off that.
Even if she is old enough, will one of the younger two kids (2 1/2 yrs and a 10 months old) murder any pet?
Tried rabbitts at five, enthusiasm lasted a few months before Muggins ended up doing it, I wasn't too upset when they ran away to live in the field behind the house.
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My mate has guinea pigs and reckons they're dead easy. Plus they actually live quite long (unlike hamsters). He got two for his daughter when she must've been about 3. We have fish, but I can see furry things on the horizon.
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A friend of ours has an aqaurium type thing that he has just put some sea/rockpool water in along with some seaweed covered rocks from the beach. To start with there wasn't much seemingly going on but now it is rammed with various things, shrimps, a couple of sea urchins, aenemones, weird alien shit etc. It's very cool to look at.
I dunno about the ethics of such things, or anything about the pumps/filters required etc. But it was genuinely mesmerising to watch and a real visual lesson in the 'life in its many weird and beautiful forms is all around us' mould. I think he was going to keep it for a bit then just put it all back in the sea and get some new seawater to start again.
Only cost is the tank and a dribble of electric for a pump/filter I guess??
This sounds great. I think a mate has got an old tank he;s trying to get shot of. We live about 10 minutes walk from the sea, so loads of opportunities for collecting things. Be good to know what details are required wrt pumps filtration etc. I think furry creatures are not on the cards yet, but thanks for the advice. Has anyone tried those triops things, they certainly sound like interesting creatures?
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I shall make further enquiries...
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Cheers min.
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Baby Tyson is 13 weeks old this week, and has been taking bitty mainly but has been having roughly 2 bottles per day to top up (was advice as breast feeding was difficult to begin with).
He had been happily taking the bottle, formula and expressed, but this week he has just started to refuse the bottle entirely. Pushing it out his mouth with his tongue, like it tastes disgusting. I’ve cleaned all the bottles and sterilised them extra, just to be sure, and cleaned steriliser too. The formula hasn’t changed. I managed to get him to take one last night, which was random. It’s almost like he has forgotten how to do it,
I know he is having a lot of brain development at the moment, but this is a bit of a bugger really.
Any ideas?
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Have you changed how you make it in any way? Apparently adding boiling water to the powder instead of slightly cooled boiling water can affect the taste of some stuff.
And the obvious question, are you sure it's not too hot when you're giving it to them? My bottle protocol is to add however much powder you're going to need to half the amount of freshly boiled water. Then add the other half of the water cold (keep some previously boiled water in the fridge in a BPA free bottle). This generally produces the right temperature stuff and avoids long cooling times on bottles when you've got a kid screaming for food.
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We're an all bottle household - basically, get one of these...like one of those coffee pod machines for formula bottles:
https://www.tommeetippee.co.uk/product-support/perfect-prep-machine (https://www.tommeetippee.co.uk/product-support/perfect-prep-machine)
Takes all the hassle out of warming / cooling etc.
As for flavour etc I can't imagine that's an issue - Una (our youngest) had a milk protein intolerance and ended up on Neocate, which is a rank non-milk milk which smelt like boiled cabbage. We started off putting vanilla essence and even Nesquik in it to improve the taste but she got used to it.
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Jessica is on that Neocate stuff also. Smells odd, but she's a baby so can't know any different!
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Jessica is on that Neocate stuff also. Smells odd, but she's a baby so can't know any different!
It really is rank. I hope you're getting it on prescription (we did), as it's bloody expensive if you're paying for it out of your own pocket!
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Both of ours went through a phase of refusing a bottle, but gave it a break for a few days and then went back onto it. To be honest though, if you had a choice what would you prefer?
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Ours never had formula, one of the 1% exclusively breast fed..... Which I still find a remarkably small percentage https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/what-is-baby-friendly/breastfeeding-in-the-uk/breastfeeding-rates-in-the-uk/
This led to a few issues earlier when he wouldn't take expressed milk in a bottle - but he'd got used to sippy cups before it became a problem when mum wasn't around..
He has gone through phases of liking and not liking then liking again food/toys/things so its probably just one of those..?
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Baby Tyson is 13 weeks old this week, and has been taking bitty mainly but has been having roughly 2 bottles per day to top up (was advice as breast feeding was difficult to begin with).
He had been happily taking the bottle, formula and expressed, but this week he has just started to refuse the bottle entirely. Pushing it out his mouth with his tongue, like it tastes disgusting. I’ve cleaned all the bottles and sterilised them extra, just to be sure, and cleaned steriliser too. The formula hasn’t changed. I managed to get him to take one last night, which was random. It’s almost like he has forgotten how to do it,
I know he is having a lot of brain development at the moment, but this is a bit of a bugger really.
Any ideas?
I remember similar happening due to the hole in the end of the rubber teats getting worn bigger so that it was flowing too fast - maybe try new tips?
conversely - it may be time to switch to a faster flowing tip
? (obvs)
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Good knowledge as always chaps. Cheers.
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Thought I'd put something on here as it might help someone avoid / get out of the hell we've been in.
Our son (18 months) has never been a good sleeper but recently we've hit a nadir where he's often up twice in the night (when we've been giving him a bottle), then is up for the day at 4am.
A few weeks of this performance has left us at our wits end, and has left us (well, me mainly) tired, grumpy and argumentative with each other. The stress levels in our house have been quite high.
In desperation I started looking at controlled crying / "cry it out" as a technique and figured that while it might feel a bit cruel
a) I can see how we've conditioned him that if he cries, someone will come up, feed him and give him a cuddle
b) he needs to learn to settle himself if he wakes up in the night
c) it's us that dictates what's an acceptable time to be up in the morning, not him
So, I bit the bullet this weekend. Done away with the bottles, and if he woke up crying I went up, resettled him (lie on back, dummy in, white noise on, leave room - minimum of interaction).
We figured 6am is the earliest acceptable time to be awake in our house so if he can manage that we're happy.
Friday night - stirred a few times in the night, woke up at 4:07am and screamed solidly until 6am. I think I made about 20 trips to his room.
Saturday night - woke once in the night, resettled him and he dropped straight off. Woke up at 4:45am, resettled him and he griped for about 15 mins but then dropped off and then slept till 7am.
Sunday night - woke once in the night, resettled him and he dropped straight off, then slept through - my alarm went off this morning at 6am, I got up and got ready for work and he was still asleep when I left!
I feel like a different person this morning due to a combination of better sleep for a couple of nights, and the dread of the impending 4am wake-up being lifted. Aware this may be short-lived but I thought I'd share it if anyone is going through the same thing.
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Bonza mate!
In truth, by child 2, this becomes the default; because the crying is less alarming.
By child 4, it takes a simultaneous hurricane, Earthquake, Armed police raid and synchronised smoke alarms sounding, to rouse you from your slumber, if it’s not your “turn”...
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That sounds like an excellent result, 3T. I would say that anybody reading the thread for advice will want to carefully consider whether this is right for their bairn though. "Controlled crying" has been linked with increased incidences of mental health problems such as anxiety in later life. Something to do with the stress hormones that are released during crying.
Sounds like it worked a treat for 18 month old 3T Lite, but I know some people who've used it for extended periods on sub-9 month old babies who are probably crying in the night for different reasons, as opposed to out of sheer devilment!
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In my view it's the first time as a parent you have to play "tough love" and not give your child what they want, because it's not actually doing them (or anyone) any good, they are creatures of habit like all of us. You'll need to do this kind of thing many times in their life, get used to it.
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That sounds like an excellent result, 3T. I would say that anybody reading the thread for advice will want to carefully consider whether this is right for their bairn though. "Controlled crying" has been linked with increased incidences of mental health problems such as anxiety in later life. Something to do with the stress hormones that are released during crying.
Sounds like it worked a treat for 18 month old 3T Lite, but I know some people who've used it for extended periods on sub-9 month old babies who are probably crying in the night for different reasons, as opposed to out of sheer devilment!
Humour aside, the important part of that technique is that you do actually check on the child. Looking for other symptoms etc. There is supposed to be a physical resettling and reassurance, without verbal/singing/feeding etc. comfort.
It’s incredibly unscientific, but I have always felt, that you come to learn their cries. To know which are temper tantrums, or pain, or hunger or just plain wrong and worrying.
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Not sure if anyone of the Dadsdem have come across this yet, but if you're in a Childcare Voucher scheme, it's all changing come Sept/Oct of this year.
There a new government scheme called Tax-Free Childcare which anyone with kids hitting the relevant age would go into - however if you're on an existing Childcare Voucher Scheme apparently in some cases (like mine) you've got the option of staying in that instead.
Predictably, it's all massively complex, highly dependent on personal situation re: kids' ages, number of kids, earning etc.
Thought I'd drop a heads-up to anyone else who's going to be drawing up a massively complex Excel* spreadsheet in the near future!
A bit more info here:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/tax-free-childcare/ (https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/tax-free-childcare/)
*open source equivalents are available for free
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I am sat here typing this post after another hellish night with the boy. He has been full of cold for weeks, with a barking cough. Been to the quacks twice under orders from the boss, but GP happy it's nothing sinister.
So we are currently enduring fucked up night times. Sam will go to bed fine (anywhere within an hour time slot between 7pm.and 8pm) but then wakes up between 1.30am and 2.30am and decides he wants to be awake for a few hours. It is driving us insane! A random night here and there I can handle but week after week off having these split nights is torture. I find myself getting really agitated by it, which is wrong as its not the poor little lads fault. It doesn't help that I do a very physically demanding job in the outdoors, and that I'm in constant pain with my shoulder.
Any wise words from the UKB dad crew? The Mrs consulted Google as per usual. And she sent me a link which she claims has the answer. All I can make from it, is too wake him earlier and put him to be later.... :look:
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Ps. I'm going in for a shoulder operation in January, so will be unable to use my left arm for a fair length of time. So I'm hoping for a quick fix with the sleep thing...... :lol:
Jokes aside, my other half is going to have to do a hell of a lot more as I'm going to be not much use. I think this is going to be tougher than anything else we've endured with Sam, as she will want a stone statue carved in her honour to show how much of a martyr she has been.... I'm never going to hear the end of it. I'm going under the knife, and I think she thinks she will be getting the raw end of the deal :lol:
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Hope they prescribe you morphine based drugs for the pain. That'll help you sleep!
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Me too Chris!
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I am sat here typing this post after another hellish night with the boy. He has been full of cold for weeks, with a barking cough. Been to the quacks twice under orders from the boss, but GP happy it's nothing sinister.
So we are currently enduring fucked up night times. Sam will go to bed fine (anywhere within an hour time slot between 7pm.and 8pm) but then wakes up between 1.30am and 2.30am and decides he wants to be awake for a few hours. It is driving us insane! A random night here and there I can handle but week after week off having these split nights is torture. I find myself getting really agitated by it, which is wrong as its not the poor little lads fault. It doesn't help that I do a very physically demanding job in the outdoors, and that I'm in constant pain with my shoulder.
Any wise words from the UKB dad crew? The Mrs consulted Google as per usual. And she sent me a link which she claims has the answer. All I can make from it, is too wake him earlier and put him to be later.... :look:
How old is the little dude? Had this with one of mine. Kids do go through periods of bad sleep due to developmental leaps which happen at quite predictable intervals. If. You Google sleep regressions theres loads of stuff online...
No one really gives you the lowdown on the lack of sleep before you have kids do they??! My youngest has his last two teeth coming through at the moment and it's been going on for literally months. The early years are hard yakka
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Why is it wrong to feel irritable about this?
Have you had your “human” removed?
Because that’s the only way that this would not be irritating and wearing.
It doesn’t matter what the details of the situation are: cronic illness, snoring, restless children, anxiety, depression, noisy neighbors or the whole gamut of things that interfere with sleep patterns; are amongst the hardest things you can deal with.
Just remember to cut each other a break.
In the past, we have successfully used Diazepam, to mitigate this.
For me, I used it during my wife’s illness, when my mother-in-law could be on standby.
More recently, during a difficult bout of bed wetting and night terrors, with one of our (traumatised) offspring. We alternated care responsibilities and drug use.
We laid down rules, such as only once a week for pill popping. Asking the GP to refuse repeat prescription. Bin remaining stock, the instant the problem eased etc.
Not had to do it for four years now.
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Daughter of 6 1/2 went through a phase recently of sleeping badly, separation anxiety etc. She wouldn't say what the cause was, but it was just after Remembrance weekend, so may have been related; possibly a mortal fear that her parents could die any time, so she kept waking up in the night for a few weeks, and coming in to check we were both there and both alive. She got gradually better, but it too a few weeks before she was sleeping through the night again.
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I am sat here typing this post after another hellish night with the boy. He has been full of cold for weeks, with a barking cough. Been to the quacks twice under orders from the boss, but GP happy it's nothing sinister.
So we are currently enduring fucked up night times. Sam will go to bed fine (anywhere within an hour time slot between 7pm.and 8pm) but then wakes up between 1.30am and 2.30am and decides he wants to be awake for a few hours. It is driving us insane! A random night here and there I can handle but week after week off having these split nights is torture. I find myself getting really agitated by it, which is wrong as its not the poor little lads fault. It doesn't help that I do a very physically demanding job in the outdoors, and that I'm in constant pain with my shoulder.
Any wise words from the UKB dad crew? The Mrs consulted Google as per usual. And she sent me a link which she claims has the answer. All I can make from it, is too wake him earlier and put him to be later.... :look:
Man I feel your pain. My son is 11 months old and has slept through the night just 3 times. The thing I find most irritating when I am woken by his barking in the middle of the night is all the different ways he finds of being shit at sleeping.
So far he has tried -
> Simply taking ages to go to sleep and crying unless continually rocked. This was the worst as you lost your evening as well as your night.
> Waking up at 1am and 3.30am. To be honest this is my favourite and about as good as he gets.
> Waking up 3x a night. Difficult but bearable.
> Waking up at 2hr intervals. Progressively more annoying as the night goes on.
> Sleeping until 4am and then waking up every 20 minutes. Horrendous.
> Sleeping until 4.30am then basically being awake for the day. Awful.
He also often refuses to nap in the day so is basically knackering. Luckily he is otherwise a very chilled and happy baby so not too hard to spend time with.
Losing sleep makes us super-irritable and short-tempered. Also boring as we spend most of the time discussing why he won't sleep and what we should try to improve things.
My wife has compressed her hours so is up at 6am four days a week for work which is making it all extra-gruelling.
I am in the middle of this so don't know if I have any advice to share. Only sympathy. Best advice I feel I've been given is to speak gently to each other and cut each other some slack. Live in hope that the bad sleep phase will pass. Also idea that some babies are just not as sleepy as others, just as some people are not as sleepy as others. I also have a theory that babies who grow teeth early have more sleep problems.
Actually, I do have advice - avoid smug parents whose babies sleep really well and who assume that you must be doing parenting wrongly. They will give you patronising advice that you tried 8 months ago and didn't work. Also they will complain when their kid has a cold and wakes up once.
Good luck.
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YMMV/this isn't for everyone/different folk different strokes etc but....
Rocksteady (and possibly MT, not sure how old your moppet is...) both of our children have been initially very poor sleepers. Our first was horrendous, and we did all the cuddling to sleep for hours on end, only to wake up in a few hours/minutes and repeat, all night, every night... for years... Looking back I can't believe we did it and all survived.
So for thing2 I knew that I couldn't do the same thing again. He was from the outset a marginally better sleeper but I could feel us slipping into the same routine. So we had a planning session and deicided 2 things:
1) We needed to try something potentially quite drastic
2) Of the two of us I was the biggest cunt.
So we did... dum, dum, derrrrrr... Controlled crying (boo! Hiss!!). My wife went and slept in thing1's bedroom (luckily at the other end of a long house) and I settled down to a night of ignoring a screaming baby. Thing2 was in a cot in our bedroom so could see me if he woke up, and I could see him. The usual round of waking and crying started, but no cuddles. a quick get up and lay the scream machine back down to sleep then straight back in to bed for the first 3/4 attempts then ignore. First scream-fests were in very quick succession but then the time gaps increased and eventually (after a fuck-tonne of crying and feeling like the single worst person who has ever lived) there was a decent spell of uninterrupted sleep. Night two was better, but the wife still stayed in thing1's bedroom. Night 3 he was up once and from then on he has basically slept through every night unless actually physically being sick. Until he got old enough to start having nightmares....
I'm not saying it will work for everyone, but if one of you can be evil enough it is worth trying (it's also a great conversation starter at any baby-groups you may go to, especially if combined with the opinion that breast feeding seems "a bit too much trouble" :lol: :lol:)
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Actually, I do have advice - avoid smug parents whose babies sleep really well and who assume that you must be doing parenting wrongly. They will give you patronising advice that you tried 8 months ago and didn't work. Also they will complain when their kid has a cold and wakes up once.
Good advice. In fact, I suspect all those parents who smugly tell you "Oh yes, Quentin's been sleeping through since he was two months" are lying on a Trump like scale.
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So we did... dum, dum, derrrrrr... Controlled crying (boo! Hiss!!). My wife went and slept in thing1's bedroom (luckily at the other end of a long house) and I settled down to a night of ignoring a screaming baby. Thing2 was in a cot in our bedroom so could see me if he woke up, and I could see him. The usual round of waking and crying started, but no cuddles. a quick get up and lay the scream machine back down to sleep then straight back in to bed for the first 3/4 attempts then ignore. First scream-fests were in very quick succession but then the time gaps increased and eventually (after a fuck-tonne of crying and feeling like the single worst person who has ever lived) there was a decent spell of uninterrupted sleep. Night two was better, but the wife still stayed in thing1's bedroom. Night 3 he was up once and from then on he has basically slept through every night unless actually physically being sick. Until he got old enough to start having nightmares....
We had to do it with T1 too, when he was about 10 months. Gruelling for 3 nights, but after that he would still wake up, fuss a bit, and go back to sleep without a feed, and in a week was sleeping through the night. Getting him to be able to go to sleep unassisted was, in my view, probably the first thing we taught him to do, and it benefited us all massively in the long run.
Luckily T2 managed to figure it out sleeping through herself at about 9 months, but we still had issues with getting her to nap properly in anywhere but a baby bjorn, but sorted that out with a bit of training art 6 months.
And as Andy and RS says, most parents lie about what their kids do, especially sleeping.
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In a somewhat amazing coincidence, Sam slept from 9pm until 6.15am today!
You couldn't make this shit up! The ball and chain was out on her works Christmas party last night. So I decided I'd give the controlled crying thing a whirl. It was pretty bad, but once he actually went to sleep he didn't stir once.
Knowing my luck it'll be a one off though! Thanks to all the fellow sleep deprived dad's out there who took the time to reply. I feel your pain if you're enduring similar to my situation.
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I suspect all those parents who smugly tell you "Oh yes, Quentin's been sleeping through since he was two months" are lying on a Trump like scale.
Fake snooze.
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And back to square one we go.... Friday night must've been a blip.
Really struggled last night, lost my temper and the travel cot took the brunt of it. I really do love my other half and my son, but my god did they frustrate me!
Hoping to try controlled crying again tonight, trying to get my lass to understand that it isn't a pleasant experience but it's worth it.
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Not sure if I've misunderstood your post but I think that if you want the best chance of success with controlled crying tou need to do it consistently, every night.
I'd suggest dicussing it with your partner and if you agree to try it you both need to do it, and if one of you can't then it's better if they remove themselves from the situation (i.e. my wife sleeping in another, distant, room).
Hopefully not coming across as one of the above mentioned smug parents, rest assured I have committed no shortage of howlers in my attempts at parenting...
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I wasn’t very clear.... we put him to bed fine, he just woke up about 11.30pm and no matter how much we tried to put him down, the tears continued. Back to the split sleep thing again.
We really struggle to get any separation in our house as it’s fairly small and has very thin walls. So you hear the screaming everywhere apart from the garage!
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my two are now older thank fuck (but it's just a different set of problems). My first was a nightmare for sleeping, we ended up doing the controlled crying and in my sleep deprived memories it worked when we did it consistently and didn't give in, it has to happen over a period of time until it has worked, if you go back on it and crack it's back to square one. For usit had to be a joint process - I remember sitting on the bottom of the stairs together - basically rocking backwards and forwards - whilst our daughter cried then did this awful sobbing noise. BUT it worked in the end, we started to get sleep and could function again.
Good luck
Rich
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The advice i read was whatever you decide to do, stick with it, or else it's wasted effort and frustration for everyone.
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And when they get poorly it all goes out of the window... :D
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I posted higher up the thread re: the success of our controlled crying with Clem - in short that it seems to have worked.
Agree with Chris...was saying on WhatsApp the other day that now I've had kid #2 I don't think it's brought that much in the way of parental revelations.
So far the only things I've really learned / been reminded of are how generally repetitive and often tedious raising a child is (till they're about 3 I reckon), and that whether it's sleep, discipline or mealtimes that routine, routine, routine is really important.
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Til they’re 3!?
You should have been here for my ten year old daughter’s absolute fucking arsehole day, yesterday.
We’re a family of six, and by the time we finally got her to sleep last night, everyone had sworn loudly at her, including the other kids.
And bad language is not normally tolerated in our household.
Our situation is exacerbated by the “Twins but not Twins” thing between our youngest.
They look like twins, both blond, blue eyed, seemingly angelic. Alex is exactly three weeks older than Lily, they are not genetically related, but even teachers who have known them since reception and well know our background, forget this.
They exist in a bipolar state of either total war or as a tag-team of coordinated mayhem. They have lived as siblings since they were 3, so have no real memories of any other state. Nothing will bring them into any form of “maturity” and “sensible” or even “calm” are not within their lexicon.
Lily has a temper, that has to be seen to be believed and she reserves it for family. It took surreptitious video recording, to get the school psychologist to understand. No one could believe the “Little Angel” could have a flip side.
Yesterday was an unrelenting shit storm of tantrums and defiance. Left us both on the verge of tears and close to a row, between ourselves.
Despite all the plans and boundaries we’ve agree, if one of us, disciplines the other’s child; there’s friction and resentment.
And don’t the little sods know it!
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I meant more in the sense of just the bad nights, the feeding them Calpol when they're ill, the feeding, the bathing, the bedtimes, rinse and repeat.
My memory is that at least once we had Una walking, potty trained, not needing a daytime nap and talking, life became immeasurably more manageable in terms of being able to do things, and without meticulous planning.
That said we definitely have a similar "Little Angel" who can go full Krakatoa on us at the slightest provocation (and she does choose some weird hills on which to die). The only plus side is she saves that behaviour for home and would never do it at school / to anyone else but us.
Don't envy you trying to keep order with that many kids and a blended family Matt. 2 children is plenty enough for me. One of my New Year's Resolutions / jobs is to get myself fully...errrr....decommissioned.
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One of my New Year's Resolutions / jobs is to get myself fully...errrr....decommissioned.
I think the procedure is reversible, so really you'd just be mothballed.
Our darling nearly 19 month old is generally a very happy and easy child. At the moment, she's relatively easy to put to bed. After bath time we wind down with books and 10-15 mins of CBeebies (In The Night Garden - what the fuck is that all about? Is Iggle Piggle dead? Is this purgatory? Is Tombliboo Unn meant to look like Kim Jong Un?) and then once the first couple of yawns and eye rubs have come through it's off to bed, normally between half 6 and 7.
Of late she's had a little trouble settling herself and has wanted us in the room. It seems to be enough if the landing light is on, and maybe one of us is somewhere upstairs while she nods off - this is fine. The real shitter is that she will occassionaly wake up early (4.20am this morning) and then complain (crying without the conviction of actual hunger or distress) until somebody comes into her room, at which point she immediately quietens. If you try and lay her back down she'll scream. My wife invariably ends up being the first one awake with this and has taken to bringing her into our bed, where sometimes she will fall asleep, but more often will start to properly wake up and then roam around the bed saying "hiya" to anyone or anything she encounters.
I can only really see three options here: controlled crying, which I would rather not do as I don't think my wife will have the conviction to stick with it. Once she's been woken at that time, she's unlikely to get meaningfully back to sleep so just tends to get up.
Option 2 would be to figure out why the waking up happens so early sometimes. Maybe she's cold and we should put an extra blanket on when we go to bed? Maybe she goes to bed "too early", though her bedtime suits us as we still get an evening (I have friends whose kids of the same age go to bed between 8 and 9) and her bedtime is generally self-led - i.e. we put her to bed when she shows us that she's had enough.
Option 3 could be a bit of a curveball. The fact that she settles better when the landing light is on makes me wonder whether she's started to become afraid of the dark. I wonder whether having her night light on would mean that if she wakes up early she'll settle again without comfort from us? Maybe I could leave a couple of pop up books at the end of her cot so that she can entertain herself when she wakes up in the morning?
Ideas welcome.
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Christ Will, that sounds like heaven!
Ours (2.4yrs) has a bath at about 6:30 then in bed about 7. He then takes between an hour and 2 hours of having stories read to him - singing - other stuff etc.. He won’t settle on his own - has to go to sleep with one of us next to him. He sleeps in a futon - so its easy for us to crash next to him etc..
He wakes during the night about 50% of the time but (at the moment) is settled quite quickly but one of us has to stay with him until he drops off. Sometimes he wants me, sometimes its his mother. He then wakes at about 6-6:30 - and may sit in bed and read for 20-30 min or may be more vocal.
We’ve just got used to this and deal with it... Removing daytime naps, milk before bed etc. Etc.. etc.. he’s just one of those people who doesn’t need much sleep.
MrsTT is VERY much against controlled crying - I let him grizzle for a bit but if it reaches the point where he’s getting really angry then its (a) not very nice for him and (b) becomes self defeating.. He is old enough and cognitive enough to reason with and persuade to do things (including sleep)
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Found this quite useful for early waking with our three year old. She starting wanting to get up at 4am about a year ago.
You can set it so it changes from a blue screen with stars to a yellow sun at the time you want them to wake up. Have no idea if it was the security of a better night light in her room or the star sun thing that helped but would recommend giving it a try.
https://www.johnlewis.com/gro-clock/p230928843?sku=230928843&s_kwcid=2dx92700027800954095&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkojx97Kn3wIVRrvtCh1JKAAOEAQYAiABEgI5uPD_BwE
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I have three kids - youngest now 6 and they have all been pretty different on sleep. We did controlled crying with the eldest and it seemed to work (a couple of nights of terrible guilt and it was over). Tried the same with the youngest and it did not work at all, in fact probably contributed to separation anxiety which he is still affected by now. The oldest two have to be in cave dark conditions whereas he sleeps much better with a night light on and door open.
Clearly, I should not be giving advice on this topic but . . .
Have you tried rousing her a couple of hours before she wakes naturally? We did it with middle son in similar circumstances and kept it up for a few nights and it seemed to break the habit/cycle. Idea is that they begin to wake without actually waking. I overdid it a couple of times and started the day at 3am with an overexcited toddler. Not recommended.
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I Tried the same with the youngest and it did not work at all, in fact probably contributed to separation anxiety which he is still affected by now. The oldest two have to be in cave dark conditions whereas he sleeps much better with a night light on and door open.
My youngest too, slept terribly as a baby so we tried it and in retrospect seems we overdid it. Also uses a night-light unless she's in a room with someone else and has a real fear of being abandoned. Doesn't stop her wondering off in Decathlon and getting lost though. Proper parenting shame when you hear "can the parents of your child please contact security" over the tannoy.
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I keep trying to remember what worked.
But it was either 13 or 10 years ago respectively.
We tried the “self soothing” on number one demon, sorry, daughter, I remember that much, but I know I spent hour upon hour dancing around the apartment, bouncing her and singing nonsense ditties. Often resorting to driving around Dubai in the early hours, as that was a certain sleep inducer and gave one of us a few hours break.
The boy, was better anyway, but he had a few bad patches. By the time he turned one, we were into Chemo and Stoma bags and Surgery and... and...
So, chemical respite was easier to accept ( vauge notions of noble suffering and similar shit, wither rapidly in the that blazing nova of reality) and bringing Grandparents into play was an enormous help; something unavailable during the expat years.
Just sending the Mrs off to my parents for a weekend or vice versa, helped massively. Mamaia (the Romanian mother-in-law) moving in for a time, to play nanny, saved our sanity.
But there were so many times it all got too much. Tears, rows, sulks, slammed doors and hours spent staring at the sea, wishing I hadn’t said something; certainly happened. They seem so distant and unimportant now, though. I know she said things that cut to the bone, I know I did too. I can’t remember any of them.
It’s a bit like Mountaineering, really, actually a whole lot of misery, that somehow, you can’t wait to repeat...
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Removing daytime naps
Dodgy ground if you do it too soon, overtiredness can cause disturbed sleep. a thin line to walk.
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Dodgy ground if you do it too soon, overtiredness can cause disturbed sleep. a thin line to walk.
[/quote]
Amen brother. I experimented with 1 short nap yesterday with Ben (15 months) and we were up 3 times with him last night. Won't be doing that again in a hurry.
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Its all a bit random - there seems to be no relation to sleep and naps - except if he doesnt have a nap (or didnt hes not too bad now) bedtime was overtired hell.
At the moment we're moving towards 1 hour nap before lunch rather than afternoon.
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Well we've had better luck since the trauma of last few weeks. Sam woke briefly about 2am but I got him back down no problem. We're sticking with making sure he gets his naps in properly. A good hour and half in morning, and an hour in afternoon (but no later than 4pm)
Good naps seems to be the key for us.
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Well ours seems to be getting a cold, so was basically asleep in my arms when I put her down at half 6. I left the night light on and some books at the end of her cot. This backfired as she awoke at three, took off her sleeping bag, and must have thought it was time to get up. Didn't go back to sleep for 45 mins but then did sleep till a little after 6.
:devangel:
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Will, I feel your pain! All our disruption stated with him getting a cold. That was 3 weeks ago!
We tried our best to make him comfortable with all the old tricks, elevated mattress at one end, snuffle babe/vix thingy on chest and soles of feet, liquid vapour stuff in jug of boiling water underneath the cot....
Best of luck mate.
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Well ours seems to be getting a cold, so was basically asleep in my arms when I put her down at half 6. I left the night light on and some books at the end of her cot. This backfired as she awoke at three, took off her sleeping bag, and must have thought it was time to get up. Didn't go back to sleep for 45 mins but then did sleep till a little after 6.
:devangel:
That'd be a good night for us!!!
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That'd be a good night for us!!!
Is the My Life Is Worst parent as irritating as the smug parent...
we used to have to get up before we went to bed etc...
:lol: :lol:
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I mea"Little Angel" who can go full Krakatoa on us at the slightest provocation (and she does choose some weird hills on which to die).
One of the best things I've seen shared on Facebook recently is an album of photos of toddlers having full DEFCON 1 meltdowns with a simple caption explaining the cause. One of them is a little girl sat in front of her dinner, wearing oven mitts, with her head tossed back in a wide-mouthed wail of utter despair. The caption reads: she can't pick up her fork. Another shows a young boy beating his tiny fists against the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. In the foreground is a Ritz cracker with one of the tiny edge crenellations broken off. The caption reads: I can't fix his biscuit.
Well ours seems to be getting a cold, so was basically asleep in my arms when I put her down at half 6. I left the night light on and some books at the end of her cot. This backfired as she awoke at three, took off her sleeping bag, and must have thought it was time to get up. Didn't go back to sleep for 45 mins but then did sleep till a little after 6.
:devangel:
That'd be a good night for us!!!
I was quite reluctant to post as it did seem like a bit of a humblebrag in light of the struggles of others. The fact that she's so good means that you end up being anxious about when it will end and what it will lead to. I'm fairly sure that the level of payback we need means she'll be running a terrorist cell from her bedroom by the time she's eight.
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That'd be a good night for us!!!
Is the My Life Is Worst parent as irritating as the smug parent...
we used to have to get up before we went to bed etc...
:lol: :lol:
Then no one can say anything!
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Its all a bit random - there seems to be no relation to sleep and naps - except if he doesnt have a nap (or didnt hes not too bad now) bedtime was overtired hell.
At the moment we're moving towards 1 hour nap before lunch rather than afternoon.
Loving this thread, good advice and pain sharing honesty. We find there is little correlation between nap numbers/timing and sleep quality, as long as he has one good nap a day. We are always way off the 'recommended' number of hours for naps for his age. I've tried all the consistent routine, dark room stuff, watching like a hawk for tired signals, etc. Just seems random. I had 10 weeks of Shared Parental Leave looking after my boy on my own and reckon I spent three times as much time obsessing about nap time than baby spent napping.
Didn't mean to infer that anyone in this thread is in the smug parent camp, sounds like everyone has lived through their share of sleep-deprivation hell. I was thinking of some people from our NCT group who made my blood boil. I quote:
"Have you tried controlled crying? We did it from 8 weeks. Little C cried constantly for 22 minutes. Then he fell asleep. Since then he has slept through the night."
22 minutes just kept going through my head. My kid has defo cried 90 minutes when left to have a 90 minute nap. Last night he cried about 22 mins with me cuddling him and singing 'Silent Night' over and over.
"God our baby has been up 3 times the last 2 nights with her cold. We're exhausted. This is from a baby who has slept through the night since the day she was born. I'm worried there is something wrong with her. I'm thinking of getting a sleep consultant."
TBH I just thought this was ridiculous. Although this mum also obsesses over the danger of Christmas trees and her baby opening cupboards etc, while at the moment her kid cannot yet crawl properly.
We are getting a bit 4 Yorkshiremen though. Oh you used to have to get up before you went to bed? We were up so much we sold the bed and just stood up rocking the baby all the time for 8 years etc...
On another note - I was turned off controlled crying/crying it out by the book 'What Every Parent Needs to Know' by Margot Sunderland. She was quoting a bunch of science about how babies become much more anxious adults if left alone, to the point where certain parts of their brain simply don't develop. However, I more recently read 'The Boy who was raised as a Dog' by Bruce Perry (wholeheartedly recommend btw, most readable scientific book I have ever read). My understanding is that it is his investigations on brain development of neglected children that is the 'science' in this area - he was the one who did the brain scans.
But his study was looking at seriously neglected kids - i.e. dormitories of hundreds of Russian orphans who were changed a couple of times a day and never cuddled. And kids who were literally raised in the same way as a mentally subnormal man's dogs.
I think the whole anti-controlled crying thing is based on his studies. But I don't think his studies support the conclusion drawn by Margot Sunderland etc. He's saying that severely neglected kids show lack of brain development in the 'human parts' of their brain, and will operate more on the 'lizard/chimp brains', with higher anxiety/aggression etc. Controlled crying from a loving parent who cuddles etc isn't even on the same spectrum of neglect, and it seems unlikely that his findings would have any read across?
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In those NCT/new parent environments people often play it up or down. When I challanged (I was quite tired at this point) one dad about their child who slept through from (I can't remember the number but if sounded like bullshit) weeks it turn out that he classed "slept through" as from 11pm to 4am with one get up.
My 5 yo is a doddle, she reads her book for a bit until we tell her to go to sleep, she does and then she gets up about 7ish. However, as a baby we spent ages singing/rocking/pandering to her every need to get her down. School sorted her out as she's shattered all the time now.
My 2 yo has always gone down easily, we could literally chuck her in the cot and she'd sleep but I count the number of nights she's slept through on my fingers. One get up and a six on the clock when we are woken is current the best we can hope for.
We haven't (conciously) treated them differently, kids are just unique. What works for one....... I still cling to the best parenting advice I ever got, "Whether they are being amazing or it's all going to shit, it's just a phase and it will change, for better or worse!" Stop me despairing/being too smug.
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Hah - we were (privately) smug parents for child number one who slept through pretty quickly and weened herself off the boob really easily.
Her younger brother on the hand; 15 months, still feeds 2-4 times per night, generally wakes up at 5:30, thinks food is a fun activity rather than something to actually fill you up (so you don't need the boob), hates calpol/neurofen... Urgh.
Parented him the same as far as we can tell - they're just different.
Never going down the cry-it-out method for sleep training (Mrs is a child psychologist...), but controlled crying (time-limited before going into comfort) might be the route we go down to improve his sleeping. The issue is he's often, though not always, crying because he's hungry, not because he can't get back to sleep. So no amount of joggling and twinkle-twinkle will get him back to sleep. But switching boob-juice for moo-juice just transfers the reliance.
With his sister we did the withdrawal method (fnar); start off cuddling (but not until they're asleep) for a few days, then patting, then hand on back, then sitting next to cot, then sitting with back to the cot, then outside the room talking/singing (usually whilst reading a book or playing on phone). Worked pretty well but took a good few weeks.
Despite this lack of sleep and money, the Mrs is still considering a third.
Mentalist.
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Despite this lack of sleep and money, the Mrs is still considering a third.
Mentalist.
:D we're having similar conversations (re #2)
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I remember my wife suggesting a second child.
I made a number of well reasoned logical arguments for why this wasn't a good idea. Ultimately constructing a cast iron case against the proposal...
...so we now have two children...
...which is ace :2thumbsup:
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I thoroughly recommend a large brood.
Very satisfying and rewarding.
Tiring and full of pit falls, but worth it.
Uh, wtf is an NCT?
Is it like those Farcebook “Mum’s groups”?
Because my better half follows a few of those and as far as I can tell, everything is a vaccine injury, all you need are essential oils and at least five of the group are calling CPS about your last post...
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Uh, wtf is an NCT?
Is it like those Farcebook “Mum’s groups”?
Because my better half follows a few of those and as far as I can tell, everything is a vaccine injury, all you need are essential oils and at least five of the group are calling CPS about your last post...
Nah, fortunately, NCT (National Childbirth Trust) is pretty evidence based, and realistic advice (assuming the group leader sticks to the script).
But mostly it's a great way to meet fellow parents for the mums/dads to hang out with.
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I mea"Little Angel" who can go full Krakatoa on us at the slightest provocation (and she does choose some weird hills on which to die).
One of the best things I've seen shared on Facebook recently is an album of photos of toddlers having full DEFCON 1 meltdowns with a simple caption explaining the cause. One of them is a little girl sat in front of her dinner, wearing oven mitts, with her head tossed back in a wide-mouthed wail of utter despair. The caption reads: she can't pick up her fork. Another shows a young boy beating his tiny fists against the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. In the foreground is a Ritz cracker with one of the tiny edge crenellations broken off. The caption reads: I can't fix his biscuit.
Well ours seems to be getting a cold, so was basically asleep in my arms when I put her down at half 6. I left the night light on and some books at the end of her cot. This backfired as she awoke at three, took off her sleeping bag, and must have thought it was time to get up. Didn't go back to sleep for 45 mins but then did sleep till a little after 6.
:devangel:
That'd be a good night for us!!!
I was quite reluctant to post as it did seem like a bit of a humblebrag in light of the struggles of others. The fact that she's so good means that you end up being anxious about when it will end and what it will lead to. I'm fairly sure that the level of payback we need means she'll be running a terrorist cell from her bedroom by the time she's eight.
The underlying fear that parenthood engenders...
Payback.
Made me think of the Sam Vimes quote on that nagging feeling of impending doom:
“He had nightmares about being too late.
He had a lot of nightmares about Young Sam. They involved empty cots and darkness.
It had all been too … good. In a few short years, he, Sam Vimes, had gone up in the world like a balloon. He was a Duke, he commanded the Watch, he was powerful, he was married to a woman whose compassion, love, and understanding he knew a man such as he did not deserve, and he was as rich as Creosote. Fortune had rained its gravy, and he’d been the man with the big bowl. And it had all happened so fast.
And then Young Sam had come along. At first it had been fine. The baby was, well, a baby, all lolling head and burping and unfocused eyes, entirely the preserve of his mother. And then, one evening, his son had turned and looked directly at Vimes, with eyes that for his father outshone the lamps of the world, and fear had poured into Sam Vimes’ life in a terrible wave. All this good fortune, all this fierce joy … it was wrong. Surely the universe could not allow this amount of happiness in one man, not without presenting a bill. Somewhere a big wave was cresting, and when it broke over his head it would wash everything away.
Some days, he was sure he could hear its distant roar …
[…]
Young Sam pulled himself up against the cot’s rails, and said “Da!”
The world went soft.”
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But mostly it's a great way to meet fellow parents for the mums/dads to hang out with.
Yep, (almost all) of our group still meet regularly 9 years on.
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This has been an enlightening and encouraging thread recently. I've booked in for an appointment to have the snip early next year.
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You could claim some carbon credits for that Fiend.
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This has been an enlightening and encouraging thread recently. I've booked in for an appointment to have the snip early next year.
Castration is a bit extreme innit?
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Gotta be sure. You guys have sold it to me.
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This has been an enlightening and encouraging thread recently. I've booked in for an appointment to have the snip early next year.
of course there's already a thread
https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,27037.msg521695.html#msg521695
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Delighted to say that there will be a micro Monolith as of August. Very much mining this thread for beta in advance!
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Tom, that's fantastic. Congratulations!
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:beer2:
Nice one mate!
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Delighted to say that there will be a micro Monolith as of August. Very much mining this thread for beta in advance!
You got laid?! :jaw:
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Congratulations beast :2thumbsup:
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Congratulations brother!!!
:2thumbsup:
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Congrats Tom!
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Excellent news!
you know where to ask for the best advice
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you know where to ask for the best advice
Yep, anywhere but here! Lets face it, no-one has a clue.
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Congrats Tom!
Baby beta is pretty much like climbing beta - some will be spot on and work perfectly for you - and some (most?) will ultimately prove useless but will help/make you feel better at the time :D
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Congrats Tom!
Baby beta is pretty much like climbing beta - some will be spot on and work perfectly for you - and some (most?) will ultimately prove useless but will help/make you feel better at the time :D
I was going to post exactly the same thing - that reading the last 32 pages of this thread should tell you that there's loads of advice out there, not all of it useful!
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Cheers beasts, super happy!
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Our 2.5 yo lad just ‘self settled’ for the first time. I read him a story in bed after bathtime routine - and he said daddy leave me. We said good night. He sat there for a couple of min - then got under his covers and went to bed. 😱👏
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Our 2.5 yo lad just ‘self settled’ for the first time. I read him a story in bed after bathtime routine - and he said daddy leave me. We said good night. He sat there for a couple of min - then got under his covers and went to bed. 😱👏
nice one
our lad started similar things at that age - telling me "you can go now" and patting me on the arm at nursery and getting on with his day rather than trying to follow me - he still does the same thing when he is comfortable enough not to need a parent, but thinks that we haven't quite grasped the situation
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Our 2.5 yo lad just ‘self settled’ for the first time. I read him a story in bed after bathtime routine - and he said daddy leave me. We said good night. He sat there for a couple of min - then got under his covers and went to bed. 😱👏
nice one
our lad started similar things at that age - telling me "you can go now" and patting me on the arm at nursery and getting on with his day rather than trying to follow me - he still does the same thing when he is comfortable enough not to need a parent, but thinks that we haven't quite grasped the situation
Yeah, my daughter does something similar, but verbal.
Really cute.
She smiles so sweetly and says “Oh for God’s sake dad, piss off!”
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Thread resurrection.
Anyone got any tips for getting a stubborn toddler to take their medicine?
My 2.5yr old son got a nasty skin infection and had to have an overnight stay in hospital on an IV of antibiotics. Had a couple of days dose via the IV but now we're on an oral solution at home. My son HATES it. It's very citrus smelling, suspect it has quite a strong taste.
We've tried bribery with chocolate but he just ignored the choc. We've tried mixing with yoghurt, squash and milk all with very limited intake.
So far best effort was about 30 minutes to drink the 2.5ml mixed in milk with TV as the bribe.
Otherwise we squirted a syringe in his mouth whole he was crying and resisting which while it got a lot down was horrible and stressful and did involve a lot of spitting out everywhere too.
From 2.5 years of refusing to sleep I knew he had strong willpower but this is ridiculous.
Anyone have any advice?!
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It might be worth talking to the GP/pharmacist about it, we've done this when our boy refused to take antibiotics and they prescribed something else that either wasn't as unpleasant or needed taking less often. Also, our boy was fine taking his medicine at nursery but played up for us.
Bribery with chocolate buttons has worked for us, think we might have bribed with a new toy/book for when he finished the course as well. It is horrible and stressful trying to get medicine in them that they really don't want to take.
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This - some Brands of AB’s taste minging - but others seem fine.
Though given what your kid had it may well be that they’re strong ones rather than the usual toddler chest infection jobs?
We’ve had this before from a youngish doctor - and now question which one they’re prescribing us.
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This - some Brands of AB’s taste minging - but others seem fine.
Though given what your kid had it may well be that they’re strong ones rather than the usual toddler chest infection jobs?
We’ve had this before from a youngish doctor - and now question which one they’re prescribing us.
It’s been a while, but we used to mix it up with some squash. Summer fruits worked best, even with citrus medicines. That was in the Sippy cup era.
Later, we shifted to “take it or else, ya little tosser!”
Which also worked.
The eldest tells me she’s already selected my care home.
In Siberia.
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Can't remember which, but I think the yellow stuff we've managed with OK in the past, been prescribed the pink stuff and neither would touch it (I did have a dab taste, and to be fair i would have struggled to swallow it, it's vile). Each time we've taken it back and changed it.
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Thanks for advice all.
In the end we got it down from an hour of battle and spitting medicine out to drinking it up after about 5 minutes of protest.
2 tricks. One was to serve medicine before food, and he wasn't allowed his food until he finished his medicine! This felt very cruel to begin with but actually I'm convinced the medicine didn't actually taste that bad and once he got his head round it this worked really well. The second trick was to dilute the medicine but only slightly, so it could be finished in 3 good sips. This way we were able to say only one more sip and get it finished pretty quickly.
All seems better now thank goodness. It's horrible when the little ones get ill isn't it!
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If they are very young, just be aware the first course of antibiotics can wreak havoc with their guts, we got the first experience of "shit so hard and runny it squirts up the back of nappy" after a couple of days, where the best option is a strip off and wash down with hand shower.
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Thanks for advice all.
In the end we got it down from an hour of battle and spitting medicine out to drinking it up after about 5 minutes of protest.
2 tricks. One was to serve medicine before food, and he wasn't allowed his food until he finished his medicine! This felt very cruel to begin with but actually I'm convinced the medicine didn't actually taste that bad and once he got his head round it this worked really well. The second trick was to dilute the medicine but only slightly, so it could be finished in 3 good sips. This way we were able to say only one more sip and get it finished pretty quickly.
All seems better now thank goodness. It's horrible when the little ones get ill isn't it!
When I posted, I actually wrote something else entirely, deleted it and settled for a dad joke.
We went through four very different experiences with each of ours when they were younger.
Oldest (girl) was incredibly cooperative from birth, still is.
My eldest boy was 5 when I arrived, but only began swallowing tablets this year (13).
The youngest two, are the same age (three weeks difference).
My boy is difficult but manageable, prone to teary tantrums and stubborn as fuck. However, if I’m firm, he will do what he’s told and then stomp off. He did then and still does now (11).
The youngest daughter, was 3 when I moved in and was, is and ever shall be; totally beyond the control of man or deity.
She does not give a fuck what anybody thinks of her, she will do as she pleases.
Ultimately, even with her, simply being firm and holding out for compliance, whilst trying not to turn into screamy sweary parent, was the only thing guaranteed to work.
What I originally wanted to say (and it’s hard, without sounding preachy and condescending) is, don’t let it become transactional.
I know, to an extent, it’s always transactional, but buying cooperation really backfired on us at one point.
It might just have been us/our child. Other people might have great success.
We didn’t.
Worse, it made the change to holding firm, harder.
I can’t articulate it well, it’s the difference between them understanding that a certain attitude and behaviour is expected from a functioning human and shouldn’t need to be purchased (?make sense?).
Edit:
I think similar issues arise across a range of scenarios that “taking the foul tasting medicine” is just one iteration.
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Does anybody have experience with the non sew-in name tags for school uniform? I'm tempted by iron-on or stick-on ones to save sewing time, but would obviously like to avoid endlessly redoing the job if they're always coming unstuck.
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Sharpie. Tbh the best labelling in the world won't prevent the Inevitable disappearance of kit.
Mind you, the iron on, stick on sew ons are easier to remove if the kids return with swag, and you're down to your last jumper...
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We use three stick ones you get off Amazon. They are good and stay stuck on for ages. We use them on everthything like clothes, bags, shoes, water bottles etc etc
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Gave up on name tags years ago, switched to laundry markers on the labels/inside collars.
From around 10/11 upwards, they grow too fast to worry about losing stuff, because you’ll be replacing it every half term anyway.
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Does anybody have experience with the non sew-in name tags for school uniform? I'm tempted by iron-on or stick-on ones to save sewing time, but would obviously like to avoid endlessly redoing the job if they're always coming unstuck.
We use Stikins, they're excellent - really sticky, should last a full school year / till they grow out of them.
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If you buy a load of labels, put them somewhere so you remember where they are the next year #FFS.
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Apologies if this is the wrong place/already covered: any recent experience of The Snip? Specifically the no scalpel/soldering iron method.
Interested in general recovery experience and reassurance that I won't have to live with chronic nut pain. Most friends/family of similar age are still producing children so it seems I'm the first in my social circle to 'go over the top'.
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I was looking in to this pre-COVID, and thought I'd need to get into hospital etc
I gather that certain GP's surgeries even have a clinic on a given day where you can drop in and get yourself decommissioned.
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I had the snip over twenty years ago. GP used to refer you to a private surgeon and he did the op on what seemed like his kitchen table.
I was in the gym the next day with no after effects. You did get a nice pouch to hang your balls in with the op.
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You did get a nice pouch to hang your balls in with the op.
Surely that's castration?
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Apologies if this is the wrong place/already covered: any recent experience of The Snip? Specifically the no scalpel/soldering iron method.
Interested in general recovery experience and reassurance that I won't have to live with chronic nut pain. Most friends/family of similar age are still producing children so it seems I'm the first in my social circle to 'go over the top'.
Had it done at the start of the year. GP referral suggested somewhere like 9 months of waiting. Private options were expensive. Ended up speaking to BPAS (Chester for me) who strangely are still NHS funded (so free operation) and have monthly appointments. Made one for the following week. Turned up, and was back out, albeit rather gingerly, a few hours later.
The op itself was just through a hole in your sack, the injection was the only bit I felt and then nothing really. Almost entirely all of the suffering was the mental part of it in the waiting room, as with most things.
I drove home myself (not advised by doc but I didn't really notice any issues - took the automatic). Did some max hangs the next morning but did feel a bit sensitive / tender for the week. Managed a couple of board sessions over the weekend. After about 7 days I ran across a car park without really thinking about it and didn't feel a thing.
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Thanks all, helpful stuff. The date is booked.
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My son (3 1/2) is not enjoying his nursery school at the moment, and I was wondering how long people considered letting this sort of situation ride before moving schools.
The background is until the beginning of this term he was really happy there and we were happy with his progress. But a big group in the year above all turned 4 and left in the summer. They were all the ones he considered his particular pals. Now he is the oldest in the school and there are only a couple of kids his age, with the majority now being a contingent of 2 year olds.
It's a Montessori nursery and small (maybe 30 kids total) - previously we really liked the mix of ages and the way he got to focus on the things that interested him most.
Now he's always saying he doesn't want to go to school and we worry that he's (a) lonely as he doesn't feel a friendship with the remaining kids his age and (b) bored because he's done everything that nursery has to offer.
He's not screaming and crying every day, just says he doesn't want to go and seems a bit subdued going in. We've raised the concern with the teachers - they all say he's fine when he's there and has lots of friends. But they're not exactly incentivised to tell us they think our kid's unhappy and we should move him to a different place.
We could pull him out for the last two terms and send him to a school nursery that will prepare him for going into reception year. I'd do it if it would guarantee he would get into one of the local schools that is very good. But it doesn't. And it will be disruptive to move him and considerably more faff in the morning. His current nursery is very conveniently located a 5 minute walk away and at least he's used to it.
Has anyone else had a similar situation, any advice?
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Have all his "pals" gone to school nurseries?
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My son (3 1/2) is not enjoying his nursery school at the moment, and I was wondering how long people considered letting this sort of situation ride before moving schools.
The background is until the beginning of this term he was really happy there and we were happy with his progress. But a big group in the year above all turned 4 and left in the summer. They were all the ones he considered his particular pals. Now he is the oldest in the school and there are only a couple of kids his age, with the majority now being a contingent of 2 year olds.
It's a Montessori nursery and small (maybe 30 kids total) - previously we really liked the mix of ages and the way he got to focus on the things that interested him most.
Now he's always saying he doesn't want to go to school and we worry that he's (a) lonely as he doesn't feel a friendship with the remaining kids his age and (b) bored because he's done everything that nursery has to offer.
He's not screaming and crying every day, just says he doesn't want to go and seems a bit subdued going in. We've raised the concern with the teachers - they all say he's fine when he's there and has lots of friends. But they're not exactly incentivised to tell us they think our kid's unhappy and we should move him to a different place.
We could pull him out for the last two terms and send him to a school nursery that will prepare him for going into reception year. I'd do it if it would guarantee he would get into one of the local schools that is very good. But it doesn't. And it will be disruptive to move him and considerably more faff in the morning. His current nursery is very conveniently located a 5 minute walk away and at least he's used to it.
Has anyone else had a similar situation, any advice?
How does he act on leaving? Does he come out unhappy?
We’ve been fight this with our youngest since around that age. She’ll be 13 next month, she’s still doing it.
Claims she hates school, all the teachers, all the lessons, all the other kids.
She’ll even claim she has no friends.
In the morning, when she has to go.
She comes home, happy as a pig in shit.
She’s constantly on FaceTime with school friends in the evening or off out on her bike to play footy in the park etc.
She’s currently sitting at 7th in her year, academically (2nd in Maths), all the teachers think she’s fantastic and the PE dept are on her back constantly to play on every team going.
That is absolutely not how she would describe her school career, at all. Monday mornings can involve immense tantrums, with kicking walls and breakages etc.
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Have all his "pals" gone to school nurseries?
His best mate moved away. His other friends have gone into different schools reception years. He's just a year younger so can't go with any of them.
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My son (3 1/2) is not enjoying his nursery school at the moment, and I was wondering how long people considered letting this sort of situation ride before moving schools.
Has anyone else had a similar situation, any advice?
How does he act on leaving? Does he come out unhappy?
We’ve been fight this with our youngest since around that age. She’ll be 13 next month, she’s still doing it.
Claims she hates school, all the teachers, all the lessons, all the other kids.
She’ll even claim she has no friends.
In the morning, when she has to go.
She comes home, happy as a pig in shit.
She’s constantly on FaceTime with school friends in the evening or off out on her bike to play footy in the park etc.
She’s currently sitting at 7th in her year, academically (2nd in Maths), all the teachers think she’s fantastic and the PE dept are on her back constantly to play on every team going.
That is absolutely not how she would describe her school career, at all. Monday mornings can involve immense tantrums, with kicking walls and breakages etc.
Thanks for this Matt! Hard to tell, he's certainly not subdued when he comes home, seems pretty happy, tears around with loads of energy. The teachers always give him glowing reports. I sometimes think he is more frenetic on a school day and not his true self, but in fairness you can't be your full self at school and so it makes sense if he needs to act out a bit or blow off some steam. I sympathise with my son and your daughter, I did well at school and still have a good set of friends that I keep in regular touch with, but I don't think I ever really liked going either!
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My son (3 1/2) is not enjoying his nursery school at the moment, and I was wondering how long people considered letting this sort of situation ride before moving schools.
Has anyone else had a similar situation, any advice?
How does he act on leaving? Does he come out unhappy?
We’ve been fight this with our youngest since around that age. She’ll be 13 next month, she’s still doing it.
Claims she hates school, all the teachers, all the lessons, all the other kids.
She’ll even claim she has no friends.
In the morning, when she has to go.
She comes home, happy as a pig in shit.
She’s constantly on FaceTime with school friends in the evening or off out on her bike to play footy in the park etc.
She’s currently sitting at 7th in her year, academically (2nd in Maths), all the teachers think she’s fantastic and the PE dept are on her back constantly to play on every team going.
That is absolutely not how she would describe her school career, at all. Monday mornings can involve immense tantrums, with kicking walls and breakages etc.
Thanks for this Matt! Hard to tell, he's certainly not subdued when he comes home, seems pretty happy, tears around with loads of energy. The teachers always give him glowing reports. I sometimes think he is more frenetic on a school day and not his true self, but in fairness you can't be your full self at school and so it makes sense if he needs to act out a bit or blow off some steam. I sympathise with my son and your daughter, I did well at school and still have a good set of friends that I keep in regular touch with, but I don't think I ever really liked going either!
We only had one bad experience with a nursey, started similar, though our daughter was younger at the time, but when we asked her what she did all day, she'd usually reply "Waiting for mummy to pick me up". Tears at drop off, and the red flag for us was, no staff member would come and comfort, or even welcome her into class.
Handover at end of day was always positive, but it didn't match up with what we saw and our daughter reported. Small things like they wouldn't really be specific either about what they'd done, just didn't sit right with us.
We'd been getting a bit miffed with the nursery anyway, new management, new team, high staff turnover (always a bad sign), and eventually we actually changed nursery, where she was MUCH happier, and subsequently sent our son to as well.
In this new nursery, our son (just turned 4), usually says "I don't want to go to nursery" first thing in the morning when he asks what day it is, and we tell him to get dressed etc, but as soon as he's in the trailer/car, he never complains, and always waltzes in without a care in the world.
So the recent stuff, we ignore, as he basically doesn't want the faff, but enjoys his time - the first one was very obvious our daughter wasn't happy at nursery and they weren't doing a good job.
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I have just returned from a couple of days at Britannia Royal Naval College, in Dartmouth (I had to draw uniform and get a quick orientation (supposed to be two weeks, done in ~8 hrs)).
I was introduced to the current class of Officer Cadets, drinks in the Gun Room, dinner in Dartmouth, type of stuff.
I’ve had to pause and take stock of my own relationship with my children.
Mainly that the term “children” is becoming redundant much faster than I had appreciated and I’m actually guilty of infantilising them.
The Cadets ranged in age from 17 to 57 (that’s not a typo. Fellow was a Chartered Surveyor in the City, got bored and threw it all up for a bit of adventure. Reckoned he was already financially secure, so why not).
Thing is, I couldn’t tell which one the 17 year old was. There were two 19 year olds in the group too (most ranged from 25-35, post grads and a couple who’d tried “work” and didn’t enjoy it much).
Here they were, six weeks into training, a clearly cohesive and high functioning team, no obvious tensions (~50/50 Male/Female) and I couldn’t tell who the teenagers were. They were just out there, being all adulty and stuff.
The youngest only 12 months older than my eldest.
I’m not sure how I got here, because I was still looking at my 16 year old, very much as a child.
It’s daft, because at 16, I was allowed to go off on holiday, alone, with my then Girlfriend (cottage in Llanwrst, hiking and climbing) for the long summer after “O” Levels.
Is it just me? Or does society infantilise teens now?
My Oldman reminded me that he left Buckfastleigh to attend college in Bristol (Engineering Apprentice with Centrax) at 15. Living in digs in the City for three years.
Anyway, it’s like seeing my eldest through a new lens. Pride with a strong hint of bereavement.
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I've been considering a vasectomy and had a phone consultation with the GP today. The only thing that made me balk was that there is an expected 3 week wait before you can do sport again after having it. Does anybody have any experience of this? Did you need to take this amount of time out from climbing?
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Thread here Will:
https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,27037.0.html
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Thread here Will:
https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,27037.0.html
Thanks, I searched but Google didn't find it. I hope Mark S' youngest doesn't find that thread!
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I've been considering a vasectomy and had a phone consultation with the GP today. The only thing that made me balk was that there is an expected 3 week wait before you can do sport again after having it. Does anybody have any experience of this? Did you need to take this amount of time out from climbing?
I think 3 weeks is over egging it. I did a 15k swim-run race 1 wk after mine which was probably not a good idea as it did hurt even with strapping, but by the second week it was fine.
Although do your best not to get an infection otherwise it'll be 6 weeks. :'(
Grim
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I can't answer the question.... but I had it done yesterday (after several covid related delays) I'm interested to hear the 3 weeks threshold. The steer I had was along the lines of avoid anything too vigorous for a week and see how you go after that.
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Any top tips from the collective on how you’ve coped with lurgy this year?
Both my kids (4 year old and nearly 2 year old) have had a shitty cough and runny noses since October half term. Just as one gets over it, the other seems to share it back. Driven entirely by the season and the fact they go to separate pre school and a childminders where they interact with lots of other snotty kids.
This latest one though is proving troublesome to shift. My younger daughter is suffering with a barking cough that really troubles us all at night. The pattern for the past week has been her waking up about midnight and then being awake but awfully confused, slightly feverish and generally wailing for hours on end. It’s a fight to get Calpol or Nurofen into her, and I feel like we are having to use it way more than we’d normally do for a child her age.
I have also got a shitty cough, with some proper horrible mucus/Catarrh type stuff coming out my nose and mouth. I’m knackered from coughing truth be told, but I’ve done my tests and it’s not COVID.
Back to the nippers…. My boy is just about over it for now. The wee lass, we use snufflebabe stuff on her chest (and feet for some reason…..) and have a bowl of water and albas oil in her room to help clear airways etc. Come waking up time she is plastered in snot though, and all the nose wiping is leaving her sore and grumpy.
Is there anything else we can do perhaps? Looking forward to someone e having the golden ticket, yours, a tired and unfestive Mike.
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We find putting a pillow under the mattress at the head end raises them up a touch and helps lots (under the mattress keeps the sleeping area flat and therefore safer but obviously do your own risk assessment).
A humid room is good for coughs too.
And we've found a multivitamin for both ours (2and 7 so same issues of different germs) has helped with prevention.
Good luck!
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No idea if this is safe/sensible advice but do kids need vit D supplementation? I'm feeling generally more upbeat and energetic this year on daily vit d tablets. N=1 and a million other things that could be.
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I suffered badly with endless colds and chest problems as a kid. A 'V' shaped reading pillow to allow me to sleep sitting up (half sitting) really helped.
I used the same thing with our kids when sleeping got difficult due to snot.
Other stuff like olbas oil helps too.
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Our girl always ends up with a horrible cough whenever she gets a cold, and ends up coughing herself to vom Town several times per night. Have found sticking a couple of hardback books under the pillow end of the bed helps (currently Steve Macs and Andy pollits, boosted by a couple of Conn Igguldens).
It's a bugger though. We seem to have the same thing every winter where we're all ill for a week, on repeat about once every 5 or 6 weeks. It's bloody boring, but I don't know if there is a solution other than home schooling, or waiting for improved immunity.
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A humid room is good for coughs too.
We've got a plug in humidifier / mister that seemed to travel from one kid's room to the other for most winters (daughter gets it worse - 2 1/2 years younger). We also had one of the plug in vapourisers that you put little mats into, but they seemed to stop making them.
Otherwise, fresh cool damp outdoor air apparently helps, especially if it's a croupy cough.
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Some nice ideas, many thanks. Hadn't heard of the humidifier idea so will definitely look into that. And we did have one of those V pillows flying about, I'll see if I can locate it.
Marginally better night last night, but still majorly disrupted and in typical fashion, just as we got littlest to nearly drop off again after waking at 5am...... The boy wakes up and his mouth opens, subsequently ruining the previous hard work and meaning I'm sat downstairs with them both now. Roll on a snot and cough free life 🤧
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Related to the recent discussion about whey protein price inflation, in the last few days I've clocked that whey is one of the key ingredients of baby formula, so presumably the same shortages may have in impact there; obviously a bit more worrying than whether I can get a protein shake after training! Asda were completely out of stock of the brand we use when we went the other day. Thought I'd mention it as I know there are a few others on here around the same stage.