sharing, really quite upset

MicheH

Oh good people, I have to share this somewhere.

I'm in a rented house now and I do like it but it's cold, big and draughty and to make things worse all upstairs is laminated which makes the bedrooms really chilly. We have large windows with 2 of them big bay windows.

My largest little girl has her duvet on so is snug up there all asleep but my little one has started to cry through the night. She has a sleeping bag which I thought would keep her warm but it's her arms that stick out so when she woke up at 3am I put a fleecy jumper over her arms. She wouldn't settle and i'm a stickler for not taking my girls out of their cots/beds in the middle of the night (read too many parenting books about setting you up for a fall if a child gets into the routine of coming into bed with you) so I lay on her floor to try to console her which wasn't enough so I climbed into her cot with her and cuddled her to sleep (just this once honest) Well I was wrapped up, socks on, jarmies, fleece dressing gown but once I had lay there for 30 minutes I was dothering. It's too cold for the girls in their rooms.

We need the heating on constantly I think, but i'm so worried at it costing us so much money, money we havn't got. So here's the plan.. leave the heating to warm to a constant temp all the time day and night (thinking that the boiler won't have to kick in full pelt when we do switch it on plus keeping the house always a little warmer) in the background but to sign up to british gas energysmart so I can watch our consumption, pay monthly rather than a shock quartly and use the bill predictor to see how much I've spent (looks like my bed money is going to have to go towards bills till we're on our feet with it but hey ho, that's life) I'm going to use any Christmas gift money I get to put towards a sewing machine so I can make more blinds and curtains with cheap fleece linings for the house as the cost to buy ready made is quite ridiculus.

I'm so used to a new build with really good insulation, living like this is taking some getting used to and it's not even -degrees yet.

Really upseet, trying to fathom out a way to just look after my girls, i'm a frugal person at heart (I know it's weird to hear a bankrupt say that) and have always had the heating switched off and made do with a blanket.. it goes against everything I believe in to have the heating ticking over all the time and it might even cost us much more and it might be a stupid idea and have to stop but I just can't let my little girl get cold like that.

I'm sharing to help me feel better, I have down times and get upset easily and find it better for me to share.. after all I am living with the effects of bankruptcy right

McKneff

Could you possibly move

If you have spare blankets, fleeces throw them over the curtains at teatime.
Its amazing how much cold air it stops.
short curtains, put something against them to hold them to the wall, lots of cold air comes from down there.

I used to live in a house where the inside of the windows froze up so i know how you feel. I used to get dressed under the blankets.:eek:

thatsyourlot

Aww hun, I really do feel for you. My old flat was just like that, we got ice on the inside of the windows & you had to be practically peeing yourself before you would dare venture to the bathroom in the night in winter time. We even had gas wall heaters at the time!!

My son was only a baby at the time & it was such a hard time, trying to keep everyting ticking over on the little bit of money I did have coming in.

I found that covering the windows (once the curtain were drawn) realy helped, as Mckneff says, its amazing how much cold air it stops.

hope you manage to sort something out

xx

ascot64

Couple of suggestions :-

1. Take a look at the Old Style forum. There are of fantastic threads on there on keeping warm.

2. Parenting books are fine except everyone forgets that the baby has never read the book. If you want her in bed with you to keep her warm then do it. Don't beat yourself up over it. Surely anything is better than sleeping on her floor in the freezing cold!

3. Are the girls in the smallest room together. Whilst it's cold that might help them stay warmenr.

skylight

Are the single glazed windows? Sealed around the edges??
You can get sealant from B&Q if there are gaps, you can get cheap squeezy strip seals to go between the frames from Wilkinsons so when the windows are closed its a tighter fit and cling film over the windows afterwards with several layers (but you cannot open the windows doing this!! You'll need masking tape to seal these down. That should help the windows.

Large thick curtains over the windows, draw them early in the day or leave them drawn all day when its really cold. Tuck them behind the radiators or tuck them up onto the window sills to prevent the heat going up behind them and out the glass. You do need to take care over the winter though and check daily for condensation/water/mould etc. But you would be doing this anyway!

The laminate - is is sealed in correctly around the edges and it goes under skirting boards?? You may have to seal this in too to prevent draughts. And lots of rugs on the floor. Ikea do cheap ones if you have one nearby and Dunelm have a good cheap varieity and deliver. (May not be girlish enough though!!)

Also, bear in mind that kids don't usually fret too much about the cold unless they are really, really cold. So perhaps she is waking for another reason? And new government advice (take as you see fit!) is now that you should not cover little ones heads with hats etc when sleeping to prevent over-heating (as its their only way of expelling warmth). And if you want to bring her into bed with you, then do so - its your family! (again... saftey first, no alcohol etc......)

dollparts

Miche, I will reply properly to this later-I'm not even supposed to be 'here'!

In the meantime, would it be worth mentioning this to your landlord? He may be willing to help out with some draught insulation perhaps?

I've got sash windows which are proving to be draughty, I'm going to go out tomorrow and see what I can find to reduce it here too.

DP X

MicheH

Thanks everyone!

I've calmed down somewhat. The heating has been on all morning and actually it's not kicking in very much at all, like I say - i'll monitor it.

Blankets over the curtains is a fab idea! Will do that tonight. I've been stitching an old duvet together today (just for now!) and bought a curtain track to put over the inside of the front door - oh, it looks hideous but there's very little cold there now, shall see tonight.

Having both the girls sleeping in one room and making the other into a play room is actually a very good idea. Two bodies in there and all my efforts into making just one room cosy would be fab.. plus night time stories with them both snug would be lovely.. aw!

Believe it or not the windows are double glazed but I fear not very good ones as condensation is rife already in the rooms. laminate is under skirting boards but it is a diy job I can just tell. I've been to primark today and bought some fleecy sleep suits so at least she'll be more comfy.

Rugs are a definate idea, they're on my list. I thank you all again for replying to my dismal post early this morning and I will have a search on old style board for sure.

This is a lovely family home and we're settled, just the equipment i have is for a new build, money is tight and finding it a struggle to get every thing I need to make it comfortable NOW! We'll be fine, It's just me - you're beginning to relise what I can get like some times.

skylight

Do the radiators need bleeding too perhaps? My upstairs ones need it doing regularly but the downstairs ones are always AOK.

mustbedebtfree

Hi Miche

From what i read from you, your are doing a fab job. And i take my hat off to you! I find it a struggle on my own, i can't even complain when people like you are doing it so well while looking after your family.

My friend has a similar problem in her flat. In her little girls room she has used black out curtain lining (not sure if its a thermal type fabric) and used sticky velcro all around the outside and stuck it to the inside of the window frame (like where a blind could go) and the night i stayed there it was really cosy no draughts at all. Not sure if that may be an option.

MBDF

cte1111

When my DD was little, I found the only way that she would sleep through is wearing a fleecy sleepsuit like you've mentioned buying, with a long sleeve vest or top underneat. You can usually get 1 or 2 designs from Tesco, which are cheaper than Mothercare ones, but just as warm. Another good place to buy them is Vertbaudet, there are usually codes available so you can get items from them quite cheap too.

It's horrible being cold and not having had enough sleep, hope everyone's suggestions help you and your daughters have a better night's sleep tonight.

money_penny_26

aww i hope you are feeling better an sleep well tonight, penny x