MSE Parents Club Part 3

Savvy_Sue

Krystaltips wrote: »

Yes but weezl, Tracy Hogg and Gina Ford have never had their own children. I don't think you can recommend a way of parenting if you've never been emotionally invested in it... I personally have never read a book on parenting... I don't think I did too bad a job on Aimee...

WHAT? These 'experts' haven't had their own children? they're practising on other people's, and presumably hand them back at regular intervals to sit back and have a cuppa (if not a stiff drink!)

DEFINITELY throw these books away and get Toddler Taming.

PS I've just checked and Tracy Hogg did have her own children. However we'd better not get into a debate about them and their methods, just don't be afraid to get rid of books which scare you. Honestly, it's not worth it ...

chocaholic110

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

DEFINITELY throw these books away and get Toddler Taming.

I quite liked that one, although it was just common sense really. I remember someone asking him how to stop their toddler writing on the walls with the phone pen. His advice? Move the phone pen where the toddler can't reach it, lol.

He also acknowledged that toddlers don't always behave perfectly and that it was just normal behaviour. Sometimes "baby experts" seem to say "I do this, this and this and the baby behaves perfectly". I'm sorry, but no-one is perfect! And it's quite easy to give advice if you're not sleep deprived, looking after baby 24 hours a day, can't remember when you last drank a cup of tea that was still hot or had a bath without several family members needing you - or is that just me?

Lu_T

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

The other book was Toddler Taming by Christopher Green, who despite being a man and a doctor wrote uncommon good sense with a clear awareness of how impossible it is to be the perfect parent. I see there's a new edition, so I do hope it's as good. And that he hasn't taken out the story of what happened when he tied his children's bedroom door shut to stop them coming downstairs when they were supposed to be going to sleep. :rotfl:

NOW I want to read it! Actually, that one's been recommended by a friend of mine too so might get it from the library :money:

I read every book I could get my hands on while pregnant. Trying not to sound up myself here but I'm a 'competant' kind of person and people expect a lot of me. I've climbed up the career ladder in a relatively short space of time. I can cope with lots - from a family and work point of view - and was worried that I wouldn't live up to this reputation when it came to being a mum. I'm also a bit (a lot) of a control freak.

I put myself under so much pressure I ended up breaking down at a mw appt when OH said I wanted to buy both the books and she asked why I needed them. She promptly banned me from buying any books and said I'd be fine (I just got them from the library :rotfl:)

Well, I only wanted the books to give me some ideas. I don't go into anything in my life blind - I love to research and need to know lots of detail before I commit myself to anything. So I read both the Gina Ford and Tracey Hogg books, disagreed with plenty, took a few ideas and then, when Imogen arrived, I at least had some stuff I definitely wanted to try and some stuff I definitely DIDN'T.

emlou2009

my heart goes out to elle, rhys and craig. the poor little man. i really hope he pulls through. i got a bit emotional after reading her story and had to give my little man a extra special cuddle.

weezl74 wrote: »

probably a really obvious tip for everyone else, but: when hanging out a whole pile of baby clothes on the washing line, use the poppers looped over the line to attach them (just one popper is enough) no faffing around with pegs, a secure hold, and no wet bit under where the peg was when the rest is dry!:D

deep joy!

it's the small things in life!...

WHY OH WHY OH WHY did i not think of that today when i took my washing round to my nans to dry on her line and ran out of pegs and then left all the vests behind cos they were still wet where the pegs were??? what a simply brilliant idea! :T

Sami_Bee

Aww Weezl I just wanted to say I do agree that you don't need to follow the books but also I hope you don't feel like you are being ganged up on
It may not feel like it but you do know what is best for you and Fergie so don't worry about what anyone else thinks you do your thing and I'm sure he'll be fine!

ladybirdintheuk

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Oh, I did read my Mum's Mrs Beeton, who had a section on babies and childcare, but that just made me laugh.

I will have to dig out my Mums copy and have a look at it too. Mrs Beeton is fab Occasionally useful for things other than recipes (how to respond to a wedding invitation from someone posh... and probably some of the cleaning bits ore very mse too.) and always good for a laugh

I have What to Expect in the First Year which is good for milestones - for each month it says what 90% of babies should be able to do, then what they might do, what they might possibly do, and a few bits they may even manage to do if they are in the clever 5%. With a blurb that all babies are different, and your baby won't always meet all the milestones in the right month, and not to panic! Then it goes through "what you might be worrying about this month", with lots of "should I be worrying about XYZ" type questions. (The answers are normally "no, don't be daft"). And there is a bit (but not too much) on weaning and whatnot, depending on what is relevant that month. At the end it has a first aid and medical section. The bit I have used most is the section on fevers, where it tells you what temperature baby should be... I've highlighted the right temperature so I can find it quick!

We've been at the in-laws - had the first bbq of the year, and tried out Izzy's new paddling pool. She was fine paddling in it, but it was a bit cold, so when we sat her in there her face was a picture. Next time will have to bung a kettle of hot water in I think. Grandad took lots of naked baby photos though, for the purposes of showing to boyfriends at a later date

Sami_Bee

Ladybird, sorry to be a show off buuuuuuut
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1049538&l=90828b709b&id=541141775

ladybirdintheuk

Wow! Sod any kids who might be around, I want one!

Sami_Bee

ladybirdintheuk wrote: »

Wow! Sod any kids who might be around, I want one!

officially THE best bargain ever £12 from costco last year:T
We ended up buying about 10 coz everyone wanted one!

redmel1621

Weezl - I didn't think you had aimed your post at me, it's fine...and for what it's worth, I have heard of accidental parenting before. It is very easy to do, my friend did exactly this with her little girl, and althouh she never wanted to co-sleep, or have to rock her to sleep in her pushchair for both day and night sleeps...she started to do it as an easy way to get her to sleep and was still doing it when the girl was 3yrs, and only got her into her own bed/room when she was 7yrs!!!!!! She had been having to let her fall asleep on the sofa and carry her up to bed with her as it was the ony way to get her to go/stay asleep:rolleyes: She wan't happy doing this but it had become habit.

I am sorry for the rant yesterday about MIL babysitting, I didn't mean to appear ungrateful. We so rarely get out as we have to beg people to babysit for us, it seems that anything becomes more of a priority than us. I did give her an earlier time to come round;) I had told her we had to leave at 4pm...we really had to leave at 4.30, but even thinking we had to leave at 4pm she still only turned up at 4.20 I did accept that things would be done differently, but to not even bother feeding him properly or closing the curtains/binds....apparantly when she put him to bed he was crying and unsettled for ages, my baby NEVER, EVER cries when he goes to bed so that upset me to hear that. Maybe it was because he was hungry, maybe it was because of the glaring sun coming through the window Anyway......I have to just forget about it now, I have already sworn not to ask her again if it means they are going to be up and awake while she is here:cool:

Sami - that pool looks great, we are going to get a small one this year for the boys, as i can't really be bothered to put the big one up and maintain it this year:p

Mel x