MSE Parents Club Part 16

Becles

Metranil_Vavin wrote: »

So are these groups less important for younger babies do you think and more just for mums to get out of the house?

I don't think they are vitally important and a young baby desperately needs to go to a groups, but they are an important social network for parents who don't get to see other people during the day as it gets you out of the house. They're good if the baby enjoys going, but if it's stressful and they get upset, it's not worth going.

I think groups are more important when they're about 2-3 years old, so you can start getting them used to playing with others of the same age and sharing etc., before they go to nursery and school.

My Mam was taking Charlotte to a playgroup before nursery started and played with her at first and then eased off and just watched her, so she could learn to develop relationships with the other children.

It's one less scary thing to deal with when they have to be left at nursery/school as they already know how to play with others and make friends, so they just have to get used to Mam not being there.

gizmodo_2

I've booked in for a show round my local nursery. Not until 4th July, but has anyone got any advice on what to look for and to ask?

Should I really see other nurseries too? This one is my local one and also has the best ofsted report for the area. I don't know anyone in the area to recommend me one.

CL

I was only going to look at one nursery and when I went to see it I wasn't blown away. It was OK. I then went to another and got a much better feeling from it. I don't know too much about it, but a few things I noticed were:

First didn't mention CCTV - second had CCTV in every room and every room was constantly showing on monitors in the managers office.

The "cot room" in one had the cots nearly touching, so a child could reach from their cot into your child's cot. Second they were at least 1m apart.

The first looked like it was in need of a good clean. It was dusty. The second had cleaners in the evenings, so childcare staff aren't expected to do any cleaning.

I also asked if my child would use the same cot all the time (I didn't want them sleeping on another child's bedclothes). Both said yes, but the second also said that all cot bedclothes were changed every day, whether the child slept in the cot or not.

The first said that if DH was in a rush in the morning (he will be dropping LO off) he could bring her clothes and they would change her out of her pyjamas. Second said she should be dressed.

Both give children breakfast and both had a full time cook on the premises.

I asked about amount of TV time as I had heard rumours about the first. First said an hour a week. Second said no TV for any pre-school children and after school club has a film showing on a Friday.


I'll try to think of anything else.

Becles

I mystery shopped a nursery when Charlotte was a baby. Things that impressed me were:

In the cot room, each baby had a drawstring bag with their own set of bed linen, so they weren't sleeping in direct contact with where someone else had slept.

The room for the younger ones was more like a sitting room with a sofa and armchairs and they liked to all cuddle on the sofa for stories or if they just wanted a hug.

The rooms for the bigger ones had a big outdoor area and they were encouraged to play out in all weathers.

The nappy changing area was in the room so they could keep an eye on the other babies, but it had a screen round for privacy.

They take them out for a walk sometimes with little ones in pushchairs and bigger ones walking.

They had a cook onsite and all the food was cooked from scratch daily, including purees for tiny babies.

Each child had a report, and you could check the chart and would know what they'd eaten and drank, nappy changes and anything else they thought you should know.

They were flexible and would try and accommodate your wishes as much as possible, so if you said they had a 2 hour nap at 1pm, they'd try and keep to that routine. You told them what formula you used and they would buy that brand in.

I would go and have a look around and see what you feel as it's sometimes very different when you get there compared to on paper. I was really keen on one of the secondary schools based on internet research, but after visiting the school and observing the pupils in town on a lunchtime, I went right off it

aless02

Morning all! Had a hugely long lie-in this morning, which was brilliants after feeling off all week. Can't seem to shake this tummy thing, no idea why as I usually have a stomach of steel. House is a mess, of course, but so lacking the motivation to get it looking respectable!!

Just got news that my dad & his partner are planning on coming to Europe in August! :j :j really been missing my family, will be so lovely for them to see Finn again!!

CL

Yeah for lie ins Aless02! Love the name Finn. It's my favourite boys name. We didn't find out if we were having a girl or a boy, but a week before our little girl was born, friends who coincidentally have the same surname as us had a little boy and called him Finn, so if we had a boy it was ruled out. Luckily we had a girl, because we hadn't another boy's name picked.

I'm off on a hen night tonight and got a spray tan yesterday. I told the beautician that I didn't want it too dark, but this morning I have changed from pasty white Irish girl to Tyra Banks brown LOL. Hopefully when I shower it will tone down a bit.

Every night for months LO has happily been in bed for 8pm. Last night she puked up her dinner and supper and messed about until 11pm, then fed twice during the night. I'm glad it happened last night and not tonight when DH has her by himself for the first time.

gizmodo_2

Thank you CL and Becles. That's really helpful - some things that I would have never thought of.

I've had a horrible night. Seems like DD is just going from bad to worse She went to bed at 7:30pm, then woke at 10:30, 11, and then 4 more times between midnight and 1am After that she went through till 8am, but I am sooooo tired now. I don't get back to sleep easily and I'm usually in bed and asleep by 10pm, so 1am is a late night for me

I honestly don't know what was wrong with her. She had a 1 tog bag on so after the third time I tried the 2.5 tog thinking she might be cold. She didn't want food. Checked her nappy twice. Changed it. She wasn't in pain or anything, no wind. I'm sure it was an attention cry, but I don't know what was waking her in the first place.

And that's the second night now. I hope it's not a repeat tonight.

She's incredibly clingy at the moment. I worry I'm doing something wrong to make her that way, but from googling it appears to be another 'phase'. She cries the moment I leave the room. I feel like it's back to when she was a newborn and I can barely find time to make a drink let alone do anything else.

Argh and here I am on the internet while she's quiet - should go and do something more productive like put the washing in the tumble dryer!

Hope you have nice days.

CL

Sorry to hear you had a bad night Giz. My LO also went through a phase of crying when I left the room. It lasted a few weeks and then stopped. I still have about 1 bad night a week and have no explanation for it. The bad nights used to be more frequent and seem to be lessening if it's any consolation.

pigpen

Ebay stuff up to date.

Squeak now have thrush and the runs courtesy of the AB's.. poor pea is screaming when I change her so we are off to the minor ailments thing for her in a bit, metanium is just not touching it .. having my cuppa and we are going to post ebay gibble so i'll pop in then. I need to order a prescription for DD4.

I have finally stopped blubbing.. stupid me! So I may actually get something productive done now

Becles

Pleased you got a lie in Aless :j

Sorry to hear you didn't have much sleep Giz. Hope tonight goes better xx
Charlotte woke up crying a few times on Thursday night for no apparent reason and I was shattered yesterday.

Hope the thrush settles down soon for Squeak xx

Quiet weekend here just pottering about. Done a load of washing, but it's raining and I can't get it out on the line -grrrr!