MSE Parents Club Part 14

redstararnie76

Mazcabs wrote: »

Xmas pressie question - especially for those with 3yo's ish

OH suggested last night about getting Henry a 'laptop' type electonic toy (IYKWIM) as he always wants to go on our computer, like this sort of thing - any experiences/ recommendations

http://www.leapfrog.com/en_gb/preschool_toys/19150.html

Maz - I don't know about that particular toy, but we gave A a v-tech type laptop when she was about 3 and she loved it, she still plays with it. However she did get angry with it the other day, she said 'grr, my laptop only does child things, I can't get it to do adult things' :eek: I think (I hope!) she was referring to the Peppa Pig and other type games that Dan found her on the desk-top!

Sami_Bee

Mazcabs wrote: »

Xmas pressie question - especially for those with 3yo's ish

OH suggested last night about getting Henry a 'laptop' type electonic toy (IYKWIM) as he always wants to go on our computer, like this sort of thing - any experiences/ recommendations

http://www.leapfrog.com/en_gb/preschool_toys/19150.html

Chris is very techy so not sure if he is 'usual' or not but he's played with kids laptop things before and finds them boring.
Maybe he has been spoilt by us letting him play on real ones

I actually think this time next year we'll be buying him a netbook :eek: I am so not the parent I imagined myself to be! Does anyone else find this?

My_Fathers_Daughter

aless02 wrote: »

Just back from a visit with a prospective CM. Absolutely loved her - she is pretty much everything I could want in style and philosophy, she's super-flexible and been doing it for eons. Is there a point to visiting other places/people just to "see what's out there"? Or just go with my gut?

Yay :T:T

Personally I would sleep on it to see if you have any more questions and then take hubby to visit. I would say if you have the smallest of worries/niggles then it would be worthwhile seeing another if only to convince yourself that she is the one for you. But if you are convinced then no need to look any further.

weezl74 wrote: »

i really agree with you.:) Just being the first person to do something IS a disincentive even though your DH was strong enough to combat that.:TNo-one likes to rock the boat.

I am mostly concerned that these chats with the senior staff will make DH feel it will lead to a bad outcome, which doesn't feel very supportive!

Sami that's cool about your FIL!

I would take this to mean the opposite - they know that they will formally grant what he is asking so they are informally making sure that he is making the right decision.

Could it not be seen as supportive management? Trying to help him balance his viewpoint a little?

aless02

Sami, you'll be buying him his own iPhone next

MFD makes a good point, weezl. Guess it depends on how close he feels to them and whether they're doing it as friends or as a passive-aggressive form of disapproval.

Only thing with this CM is I will need to send along my own lunches...I have no issues except means mummy will need to be mega-organised as right now I have a let's-open-the-fridge-and-see style for feeding him .

weezl74

My_Fathers_Daughter wrote: »

I would take this to mean the opposite - they know that they will formally grant what he is asking so they are informally making sure that he is making the right decision.

Could it not be seen as supportive management? Trying to help him balance his viewpoint a little?

mfd if you have any spare moments I'd like it if you can explain a bit more, I'm a bit confused and would like another way to look at it!

eta I put in bold the bit i wasn't sure what you meant

workinmummy

Lovely Photos Kindof

Sami_Bee wrote: »

I actually think this time next year we'll be buying him a netbook :eek: I am so not the parent I imagined myself to be! Does anyone else find this?

Joe is asking Father Christmas for a laptop. He is 6, but will be 7 at Christmas. I never thought I would be considering it at his age, but I actually am. Will obviously restrict his access, but then he will be able to play on Club Penguin and Mosi Monsters to his hearts content. It's finding the £220+ that may be the problem.

My_Fathers_Daughter

When my assistant came back from Maternity Leave and asked to go Part Time we had a few informal chats about what it meant for her in terms of her home and family life and her finances as well as about what it would mean for the business and the additional pressures that it might cause for her, for me and for others.

We discussed everything openly and honestly outside of the formal process because inside of the formal process there was only ever going to be one conclusion - that she was granted what she asked for.

But then we are very friendly and I knew all the ins and outs of her family life etc.


But I understand that not all working relationships work like ours!

weezl74

ah right.

I think they aren't like you MFD sadly

one of them has said before that he got up at 5 and hardly saw his kids and that that's just the sacrifices you make for the job. So it seems to me they have a 'what would you want to do that for?' attitude.

I'm not sure if that makes sense!

SusanC_2

redstararnie76 wrote: »

It's all very well the goverment talking about sharing maternity leave between mothers and fathers, but I think they need to look at attitudes towards paternity leave first My husband would have loved to take more time off to spend with our son, but unfortunately he seems to be in a minority.

They could start by offering self-employed fathers the same as what they offer employed fathers. A self-employed mother gets more or less the same as someone who is employed but self-employed fathers get nothing.

My_Fathers_Daughter

As someone who has invested a great deal of time (and money) in developing a successful career I guess your husbands bosses want to make sure that he is happy with his decision to reduce his hours (or whatever - I am not sure you said other than 'flexible working').

I worry that you are leading me down a route of questioning where I give you the wrong impression....what don't you understand?


Edit - sorry, we have been cross posting. I am adding a bit now...

I hesitate to say it but the reality of the world of work is that quite often (and especially as you move up the tree/look at the professions) that you get out what you put in...so if you 'put in' slightly less (ie you work 4 days instead of 5) then your progression slows down accordingly. But that doesn't necessarily mean that you don't progress.
I also think that working reduced hours puts extra pressure on an individual to do more 'fee earning' work in the time that they are there...which can sometimes lead to them doing the same amout of work in fewer hours.