MSE Parents Club Part 16

CL

SusanC wrote: »

And I'm sure seeing real mothers breastfeeding would do more to improve breastfeeding rates than zillions of posters too.

I totally agree. My SIL mouths the word breast when asking me how I'm getting on with the breast feeding in front of her 3 children. I refuse to do the same. I think this will make the children think that it is something dirty. If children saw people openly breastfeeding, then they would see it as normal. This is easier said than done I know, I only feed my LO in front of my DH as I use a nipple shield and the fiddling with it at the start and end of a feed exposes me and the feeding does not.

got-it-spend-it

I am genuinely not broody and it scares me a bit! I love Henry more than anything, and I really want him to have siblings but at the moment being pregnant and then having a newborn terrifies me .

I am very much enjoying the pictures of the littlies though! It's lovely to see so many new folks on here.

No real advice Realbutter, except that I know how you feel. I get paid fortnightly, DH monthly and CB four weekly. All to make life that bit more complicated! It can be a bit of a juggling act but I really like Becles idea of working a month in arrears.

SusanC_2

weezl74 wrote: »

Hi, Posted on facebook too, but not everyone reads there:

I've been reading about Martin's keenness to lobby government to make financial education mandatory. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/banking/2010/03/making-money-can-be-childs-play the question I have for you all as parents is: do you think good financial education is the responsibility of the schools? How much responsibility do the parents have? Also if you feel you are responsible, what strategies and ideas do you have for teaching your children about money?

Morally I would say all of a child's education is the responsibility of the parents. This doesn't mean they have to personally deliver all the education themselves and parents may choose to utilise school as a means of giving their child some education but it ultimately it is the parent's responsibility to ensure the child receives a suitable education. Unfortunately although this principle is enshrined in law, the way our state education system works means that it is easy for parents to forget that they are responsible and assume that schools are teaching their children everything they need to know without actually checking or considering for themselves whether this is the case. (Incidentally, it is because of this principle of parental responsibility that historically even charity schools would charge a fee albeit a nominal one.) Personally I would rather see financial education being provided through optional classes outside of school time (even if provided by the state) so that they are available for those who need them but parental responsibility is maintained.

Strategies so far:
Personally my parents taught us a lot about finances because these things naturally came up in conversation and I would expect that to be a key way of passing on information.

We would also observe my mum checking prices in the shops and sometimes she would tell us something was cheaper elsewhere or she would point out the huge variation in cost per unit by buying different packet sizes so I think involving your children when you shop is another key way.

A third way is pocket money which teaches a child how to budget and also means they have to learn to make choices based on the fact they can't always buy everything they want. We currently give Alice 30p pocket money each week which she generally spends on small toys which I wouldn't choose to buy for her but don't mind her having. Sometimes she sees something she wants but doesn't have enough money in which case I tell her how much it is and that she can save up for it (which she actually did very impressively over the summer when she wanted a £3.49 garden ornament) or if it is a charity shop item which wouldn't still be there, we lend her the money and she repays us at 20p per week.

SusanC_2

RealButter wrote: »

Back on a money related issue, does anyone who has fluctuating income have any tips on a budgeting spreadsheet? I find it hard to do as both mine and DH's income is different every month and is paid at random times throughout the month.

We have variable income so I do our budget on an annual basis. My spreadsheet is a bit like a bank statement with date, transaction type, description (e.g. mortgage, Tesco, car insurance etc.), credit/debit columns, a running balance and then a column where I enter the number of the statement the transaction has gone through on. Based on previous years, I enter in predicted transactions for the year (e.g. monthly and annual bills including car servicing, holidays etc.) and also put in a monthly figure for groceries and random general expenditure. As the year goes by I update it with the actual transactions (although obviously some such as the water bill I don't need to change) and keep an eye on our balance and also whether we are on course to be within budget for the full year. I also have umpteen million other bits producing graphs and other data analysis but that's just because I like it and what I've just described would be sufficient.

lilian1977

SusanC wrote: »

I was just reading some studies on episiotomies (well abstracts) and apparently it typically takes a month but obviously it would be decreasing over that time to nothing.

I think the books say bleeding lasts six weeks although mine was more like eight. It does slow down significantly though so for most of that time it is pretty light.

Ouch! Thanks Susan. It really stings just in one spot and nothing seems to soothe it. Sam has his 10 day check on Monday so I think I will ask the midwife to take another look at it then.

OH starts his paternity leave tomorrow - hoorah! Sam will nearly be 1 month old by the time he has to go back to work Is it sad that I'm really looking forward to taking him to the registrars next week?

SusanC_2

redmel1621 wrote: »

Hi Susan:D

I bet it is nice to have outside contact again now;) I hope you aren't feeling too bad at the moment. Ooooh I was meant to ask you something...stamps! are the stamps you colect ones that are from used envelopes...sorry if that seem a stupid question, but I am really clueless about these things....

Yes, it is so much better now I have people to talk to other than Alice and OH. They keep being busy and it gets very boring lying around doing nothing. I'm still not able to do very much but I'm feeling much better than I was a month ago. And yes, I do collect used stamps.

SusanC_2

got-it-spend-it wrote: »

I am genuinely not broody and it scares me a bit! I love Henry more than anything, and I really want him to have siblings but at the moment being pregnant and then having a newborn terrifies me .

I like having a newborn - it's the pregnancy bit I'm not so keen on. Although after December's hospital experience, I think OH is more scared of a third pregnancy like this than I am.

redmel1621

SusanC wrote: »

Yes, it is so much better now I have people to talk to other than Alice and OH. They keep being busy and it gets very boring lying around doing nothing. I'm still not able to do very much but I'm feeling much better than I was a month ago. And yes, I do collect used stamps.

Awww, I can't imagine what it must be like, it would drive me crazy as i'm not one for sitting around much anyway!

Right the reason I asked about the stamps is that I bought some books off eBay ages ago and inside one of them a stamp fell out that had been cut off an envelope....Not sure if it is of any interest to you, but thought I would ask.

It is a New Zealand stamp dated 29 Jul 1996 and has a lovely picture of a bottlenose dolphin on it with $1.80 in the corner....let me know if you want it, if not I will shove it back in the book haha x

sir_monster

Welcome MV and CL as others say any questions re bfing pls ask there is also lots of help out there too please ask your m/w and health visitor if need assistance as numerous groups that take place in your area.

Re breastfeeding and being open I used to feed on my own upstairs when people are over but now do with everyone - why should I be excluded. Also my SIL just had a baby and has a 3 year old girl, she has a doll and when me and SIL were bfing on a sofa she lifted her top to feed her baby, she even asked why I was feeding thomas with a bottle (I do give him a top up sometimes).

SugarSpun

got-it-spend-it wrote: »

I am genuinely not broody and it scares me a bit! I love Henry more than anything, and I really want him to have siblings but at the moment being pregnant and then having a newborn terrifies me .

Me too GISI, I am broody as all hell but have been going to bed with unbrushed teeth so I will be too self conscious for foreplay nevermind sex because I'm mid-cycle and might get pregnant

I would love another child, and I love my daughter more than I ever imagined it was possible to love anyone, but while she is so little and so escape-y and such a sponge for information and new things I just want to enjoy it.