MSE Parent Club

Hawksmuir

As a dad of a 12 week old boy, are people serious when they say they bath their infants every day ?

And are you all being serious at getting the wee folk into a routine at 6 weeks ? Or is it just competetive Mum syndrome ?

On this page there seems to be people struggling to get into routines (and worrying about it) because someone else has their 'wonder' kids all sorted inside 2 months.

tsstss7

Hawksmuir wrote: »

As a dad of a 12 week old boy, are people serious when they say they bath their infants every day ?

And are you all being serious at getting the wee folk into a routine at 6 weeks ? Or is it just competetive Mum syndrome ?

On this page there seems to be people struggling to get into routines (and worrying about it) because someone else has their 'wonder' kids all sorted inside 2 months.

Hi Hawksmuir

I expect it seems that way all mums are a bit competitive! However when you have a baby even the most unlikely of us become very baby minded and are interested in how other mums do and don't do it too and of course we are interested in their babies because all of a sudden WE LOVE BABIES!:T

Also swapping stories is good as I have learnt many good tips from parents I've met along the way with my eldest ds ....

Oh and to answer your query no you dont have to bathe baby every day (I top and tail most eves and do a bath with dad or big brother when I can) but when they get older espeacially it's a useful way of getting them relaxed enough to go off to sleep well. At 2 months it's just a matter of choice...a routine can be introduced at any time to suit....I expect you'll find most mums expecting to go back to work earlyish will be hot on this as it makes life alot easier for working parents to know what to expect.

Mazcabs

Hawksmuir I know what you mean. I sometimes feel deflated when I read about routines etc from other people.. we are trying a bit of routine if only so that DS would nap as this rarely happens and also partly for me going back to work at beg of April...

Lu T - Update on sleeping. Antenatal reunion meant that went to bed late at 10 but slept till 3 and then straight back to bed after feed till 7.30 so seems like move to big cot/own room was the best idea for us

Snaggles

Our routine is rubbish, if that's any comfort to anyone.

Oh, and we're a bit carp at breastfeeding this time around, despite 9 months practice...lol! She wont let me drop even one feed though, little monkey. :A

I just bath Natasha when she needs a bath, because I think daily baths can irritate and dry out sensitive skin (which we all have in my family), and just top and tail her the rest of the time.

We talk about the good things we do though because lets be honest, it's flipping hard work sometimes, and we SHOULD be proud and want to tell the world when we are coping well.

[SHOWOFF]ps Natasha has just learned to 'clap handies', wave, and do 'sooo big'...it's so cute![/SHOWOFF]

tsstss7

izoomzoom wrote: »

tsstss7.

There are two days between our LOs and my boys are quite independent because they are 6 and 9.

At present I do:

Get myself up at 7am - DH (bless him) has already run my bath. I am in and out of bath before DH leaves at 730. Quick dress and I come down and make breakfast (and myself a brew). Boys get themselves dressed for about the same time. They then eat breakfast whilst I go back upstairs to dry my hair (if applicable). If Samantha has woken up I talk to her and then get her dressed, otherwise I leave her until just before 8, wake her - aim is to be downstairs again by 8am.

I will feed her for max 20 mins. The boys in the meantime brush their teeth, make beds, quick tidy-up of rooms. I then spend 10 mins winding her and then 10 minutes getting ourselves all out the door. We usually get to the school - 5 mins away with a good 10 mins to spare (I aim to get their early so that if something goes wrong we have recovery time).

Once I get home again then I make myself brekkie and then settle down to finish feeding her - if I think she may still be hungry.

Packed lunches are sorted out by DH and ready to go on the buggie as well as bookbags and anything else req'd for that day

Hi Izoom...thanks for replying...this sounds very similar (in principle) to my morning plan except I can't see my dh taking time to run me a bathe in the mornings or make packed lunches - he is grumpy guts at that time of day! (Although he does make me a coffee). he also leaves at 7.30am.

Some days go better than others but I am also having to do more feeding after the school run as I can never be sure ds has had enough to eat by the time I have to leave (8.25 tops) My ds has to be in school by 8.40! On an extreme day ds2 is loaded into snowsiut still in night time attire:rolleyes:

:rotfl: I suppose I'll have to get used to getting up earlier permanently!

daphne_descends

Hawksmuir I swear I am the least competitive mum on the planet. Not bothered that Elliot wakes up a zillion times a night, or feeds every 2 hours most of the time, or can only fall asleep through nursing or rocking - all terrible things I'm sure but there you go.

And the only reason he gets a bath every day is because his dad does it, and that's my half hour of peace. If bathing was my responsibility, well... let's not go there

I don't see competition here, just parents sharing experiences.

Snaggles

Are you still not getting much sleep fac? Poor you - I had the same thing with DS (well, he STILL doesn't sleep), and it really drains you.

It's really good that Elliot's Dad takes him for a little while each day. My hubby is really good with helping out with housework etc, but not so good with taking the kids off my hands so I can get just a few minutes peace. But I can't complain, he's pretty good really.

I think this is a really supportive thread really. I know when I have had problems, within a few minutes someone has answered with sympathetic advice. And I've often thought 'Wow, you're an inspiration' about people on here, but never 'god, what a show off'.

I like hearing about peoples routines, little landmarks etc. I love babies!

purplepatch

Curious_George wrote: »

I do mean zinc and cod liver oil cream, we got it from the docs in tubes called Morhulin, its thick as anything and did an amazing job clearing up the worst most persistant nappy rash ive ever seen,
just to confuse us all we now have a big tub of zinc and castor oil cream and use it at every change, its not nearly as thick but the rash hasnt returned

Well, I am now the owner of 2 tubes of Morhulin!! My local chemist had to order it in for me and they got 2 tubes so I felt obliged to buy them both lol. One of the changing table and one for the nappy bag. CG - you never told us the cream actually smells of fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :rotfl:

:eek:

We were out shopping this afternoon and Izzy dropped her fave Igglepiggle toy without me noticing. It can only have been in M&S or Mothercare or en route to the car but I've phoned both stores and nobody has handed it in. Bet some happy little kid somewhere has a nice new toy this evening :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Last week I went to my local supermarket and someone had left their daffodils and freesias in the trolley, all paid for. I handed them in because I'm nice like that (and subsequently found out that the woman had rung the store to see if she'd left them behind), shame it doesn't work in reverse eh?!

Grrrr :mad: Hope Izzy won't miss him too much.

Curious_George_2

Hawksmuir wrote: »

As a dad of a 12 week old boy, are people serious when they say they bath their infants every day ?

And are you all being serious at getting the wee folk into a routine at 6 weeks ? Or is it just competetive Mum syndrome ?

On this page there seems to be people struggling to get into routines (and worrying about it) because someone else has their 'wonder' kids all sorted inside 2 months.

whats wrong with cleaning the baby every day?
Daniel has a bath OR top and tail every night because i am a firm believer in the routine (yes, from the start) but i dont see how that makes me a "competitive mum"
its not for everyone but it worked a dream with my DD and it is also working out for my (nearly) 15 week old
he may only be 3 months old but he knows when he has had a bath, dressed in his 'jamas and having a nice warm bottle that its bed time, he goes into his cot (which i do not put him in at any other time so he doesnt get confused) and he has been sleeping from about 9pm to 7.30am for about a month now,

if you want to think im bragging thats fine, i quite literally wont lose any sleep over it
having had the worst pregnancy ever, a nightmare c section and recovery and then my baby having been in and out of hospital since he was born and is still under the care of consultants i havent had a lot to brag about! (apart from the fact that my son is GORGEOUS!)
im far from being the perfect mum and just because i think a strict bedtime routine is important and my children respond well to it does not make them so called 'wonder' kids, there was a thread on here recently about bedtime routines and i was appalled to see how many people cant get a proper nights sleep and thier kids are 4, 5, 6 years old etc...who knows, some of these problems may not have arised if people took bed routines a bit more seriously,
you can think im showing off if you want, but if any of my experiences (good or bad) can help someone else out... then im always glad i piped up!

so...umm.... ner!

Curious_George_2

purplepatch wrote: »

Well, I am now the owner of 2 tubes of Morhulin!! My local chemist had to order it in for me and they got 2 tubes so I felt obliged to buy them both lol. One of the changing table and one for the nappy bag. CG - you never told us the cream actually smells of fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :rotfl:

well i cant say i actually put the stuff to my nose! :rotfl:
prepare for nappy rash to be a thing of the past though, its amazing stuff!