Its tough, it will get better and guess what its freezing brrrrr!

thriftmonster

I probably qualify for the even worst mother category - not only do you have to eat what's on offer - but you have to eat at a time when we're all together!!

When the kids were tiny (from 6months) that was 7.15 - 7.30 as dh got in at 7 - 7.15. They used to nap in the afternoon and go straight to bed - but it was the only chance dh got to see them.

They're 15 and 11 now and we generally manage 8 - 8.30 but it's 9.45 on a Friday - ds2 has Scouts till 9.30 and 9.20 on a Wednesday - dh and ds1 are Cub leaders. And we can't eat before as dh doesn't finish work till after 7pm.....

Rosanna79

Kezlou
Sorry I forgot to include you in the sensible mums!
Great stuff!
Apologies to anyone else I've left out and good on you gels!!
Better go and feed my man now..

NualaBuala

Rosanna79 wrote: »

Jeditheacher, Puddleglum and Gailey.
Great for this retired H/V to hear such brilliant commonsense about kids being told what's to eat or go without and such commonsensense suggestions Gailey!! In my years of practice I never met a child who'd starve itself but I sure met a lot who had their parents running in rings around them!! Parents really are getting good down to earth support on this thread... from other parents who've been there.

Think we all get times of blind panic about finances and the future. I sometimes find myself bothered by what I call the 'Black Dog' of depression ... newly retired, all my immediate family dead except my husband and start worrying about how long before he gets something really bad wrong with him.. but then I force myself to do some exercise, make things, cook or just play my flute or whistle.
I also remind myself of my friends near and far, how the world is smaller because of the internet. Also this thread is especially supportive. It's so important to live in the now I think. Once you've made all reasonable provision for the future little is achieved by fretting other than to make yourself ill.

Looked at some of the discussion threads and was surprised at just how caustic some people can be to others.. Has anyone else found this to be the case?

Nuala
What's all this about free cheese? My sister in law (who's English like me) lives in Galway and we stay in regular contact so I am aware of a lot of the austerity measures happening over there. She hasn't mentioned free cheese , however. It does seem a lot tougher for you guys so far though from what she tells me?

Hope all who are low at present find the strength they need and that tomorrow is a better day for you.

Sounds like you have a great way of coping Rosanna.

I don't know the full details but our Agriculture minister announced the plan ... it will be distributed in time for Christmas by charities. I'm guessing it is costing them nothing or very little and probably part of an excess. There used to be butter vouchers for the unemployed and that was to use up the EU butter mountain. I think everyone wished we were getting EU wine lake vouchers instead.

It is pretty tough here and we are set for more cuts, I don't think anyone will escape. We're in the period leading up to the Budget and various announcements are trickling through ... designed to terrify us no doubt so that when the cuts are announced, we'll all be used to the idea and won't complain too much. Sure why would we complain when we will be revelling in our free cheese! Honestly, if they threw in some crackers we could have a party.

I'm not in a terrible position as I don't have a mortgage and negative equity, nor do I have chldren to worry about. I know people who were very well off and they are really struggling. I think it's hardest for the ones who are still trying to maintain a certain lifestyle.

I really fancy a bit of cheese now!

bluebag

gailey wrote: »

Its is sad but found weird way to soften the blow.

Think we should write to local mps saying show me the chedder!:rotfl:

I would settle for free choc or maybe booze even.

I expect we wont get any weird freebie in uk.

gailey

LOL, that would be a mighty funny MP's letter, something tellls me they wouldn't see the funny side.
Heaven knows what kind of weird freebie we would get over here, prolly garden peas or something.

Speaking of garden peas, when my eldest was at school I asked what she had for lunch... shepherds pie and 'soldier peas'.
Well, I had no idea what 'soldier peas' were, so I asked and asked in all the supermarkets, my friends, family, no one lnew what they were... never heard of them, so I just let it go.

Turns out it was garden peas, she never knew why she called them soldier peas?? No wonder the check out girls looked at me sideways!

Fruball

bluebag wrote: »

LOL, that would be a mighty funny MP's letter, something tellls me they wouldn't see the funny side.
Heaven knows what kind of weird freebie we would get over here, prolly garden peas or something.

Speaking of garden peas, when my eldest was at school I asked what she had for lunch... shepherds pie and 'soldier peas'.
Well, I had no idea what 'soldier peas' were, so I asked and asked in all the supermarkets, my friends, family, no one lnew what they were... never heard of them, so I just let it go.

Turns out it was garden peas, she never knew why she called them soldier peas?? No wonder the check out girls looked at me sideways!

Because school peas were often like bullets. It was probably a school nickname for them that had gone on for years

NualaBuala

Soldier peas .. that is cute!

I just realised I should have been really MSE and baked my spuds on the open fire. I did it last year and it worked really well. Don't think it would have worked for the banana bread though.

mardatha

My elder son was famous for weird words when he was wee. One day he told me his pal had "twinkles"... my horrible evil wee mind jumped to things like "scabies/nits etc and I shoved him in the bath with a pint of Dettol.
Turned out he had "freckles"...:D
Then the day he came home from nursery and declared they had seen "a Pog". That stumped me until I found out they had tadpoles andddd
a frog :rotfl:

bluebag

Frugal wrote: »

Because school peas were often like bullets. It was probably a school nickname for them that had gone on for years

Bless you, yes that woulld indeed explain it. Dimbo me never made the bullet connection before.:rotfl:

gailey_2

NualaBuala wrote: »

Sounds like you have a great way of coping Rosanna.

I don't know the full details but our Agriculture minister announced the plan ... it will be distributed in time for Christmas by charities. I'm guessing it is costing them nothing or very little and probably part of an excess. There used to be butter vouchers for the unemployed and that was to use up the EU butter mountain. I think everyone wished we were getting EU wine lake vouchers instead.

It is pretty tough here and we are set for more cuts, I don't think anyone will escape. We're in the period leading up to the Budget and various announcements are trickling through ... designed to terrify us no doubt so that when the cuts are announced, we'll all be used to the idea and won't complain too much. Sure why would we complain when we will be revelling in our free cheese! Honestly, if they threw in some crackers we could have a party.

I'm not in a terrible position as I don't have a mortgage and negative equity, nor do I have chldren to worry about. I know people who were very well off and they are really struggling. I think it's hardest for the ones who are still trying to maintain a certain lifestyle.

I really fancy a bit of cheese now!

How come eu butter mountain dident effect britain as we in eu too?

I love fact in italy lots of people help farmer pick olive harvest as its tax free so save money and earn enoug cooking oil to feed their family for a year, would love to help a farmer out round here oicking in return for food.
My mam said they did as kids at pick your own farm as they picked for the shops , guess its child labour now and cant be done and most of ours is imported.

Our governement made spneding review seem much bleaker than it is ,think its strategy so some people think ahh thats not as bad as I thourght.

Always thourght ireland had slightly higher living prices anyway as logistics of getting stuff there, been to dublins once found it quite pricey.

I think irelands been hit by bad banks, only just had to bail them out again and crash in housing market must be hard as property was booming. here as we had housing slow down but no really a crash like in 1980,90s.

Keep wondering where uk is in grand scheme on things.
assume greece,spain and ireland bit worse off due to credit rating and high sector public employment, co-alition keep saying we were on the brink and our lending rates has come down as they restored confidence.

But our cuts havent really bitten.

some come into force jan
some april
and some 2012-2013.
There will be jobs losses but will be staggered not all in one go over 4half year period.

Saw on news this morning all those shiny new schools and hospitals been built are costing us a lot of money and will do for next 20years or so .Also whats worse is they drain the rest off education/health budget so the non pfi get less only the investors/businesses are laughing now.

Think on some deals we been totally ripped off and stuck in contracts we cant get out of.

Our local church does soupruns and gives stuff for homeless.
Not sure where struggling families with homes or jobs could get food parcels round here.

Have seen it on secret milionaire that some shops /supermarkets have scheme that gives food parcels but cant remember their name.
Its very common in usa as on c4news other day how important the church is the communities there for providing financial support in terms or food/clothes ect.

I think jan2011 be hard month especially if some familes still overspent on xmas like they may have done years before.
I know a lot of people tightening their belts now and changing their habits.

Well the potato adverts right give it some love give it some time much nicer in the oven, shame about hubbys tantrums but never mind.
had nice bath as bad back really think each preg is worse no more for me!

Going to get early nite with hot water bottle and a book.:D

jackieglasgow

Years ago, now I must be going back twenty at least, there was a butter and also tinned beef (Mince and stew I think) mountain in the EU. I remember my parents and my gran getting their butter and tinse of meat.