MSE Newborn to 1 year (& beyond!) baby club 2

fluffnutter

katiechoc wrote: »

Morning ladies.

Hope you're feeling a bit reassured Candlewax. I can't offer any experience as I'm self employed and work at home, but the everyone I know, on here and IRL say that once the initial settling in phase is over the LOs really enjoy it.

So I've been thinking and I've kind of got the opposite question - I know I'm very lucky that I get to spend all day with my boy but I do worry that he is going to be at a disadvantage (Iknow, never right!) by being at home with me all the time. When he's old enough for the free hours he will be going to nursery but obviously thats not for ages yet. I get him out to groups and things so he does socialise with other littles, but a few of you have mentionned things your LOs do at nursery that they wouldn't do at home - like what? Now he's a bit bigger I want to make sure I'm giving him enough variation in what we do so ideas on what the nurseries do with them would be great. Thanks

Feel exactly the same, katiechoc. And I'm a bit rubbish at playing with Freddie (as mentioned on candlewax's thread about nursery). It's partly lack of imagination but mainly (if I'm brutally honest) lack of interest. There's only so many brick towers you can build in a day

When he's a bit older, better at communicating and into more defined play (i.e. not just punching things) I reckon I'll come into my own. I can't wait to buy him lego. And colouring in. Do boys do colouring in? I love colouring in.

serendisglair

Candlewax wrote: »

Hi, has anyone had experience of their child going to nursery on a full time basis? I am having to return to work full time (financially we can not afford for me to go part time) when baby is 9 months. When I think about it I cry. I am dreading it. I am so worried he will hate it, or it will affect him emotionally being in full time nursery. Does anyone have any experience of this? Any success stories to make me feel a little less worried?

My LO was a year old when he strarted full time.
We had two settle sessions of an hour - the first I filled in forms while he played and the second I left him there....then he went full time.

We started him 2 weeks before I went back to work so I could ahve soem time off and be about if there was any problems.

He loves it. We never had any tears when we left him (he gets there for breakfast though so I think food is a good distraction). He had a few weeks of being a bit clingy when we picked him up so he didn't want to be put down when I was going through his book with the nursery person. Now I ahve to run around and catch him and its tears when he is being put in the pram to leave!

He claps when we get there and has learnt loads!! He'll sit for snacks, does loads of actions, and he basically has such a lot of fun there. Things I ahve noticed:

1) If there is waterplay he will be the only one in the nursery *special clothes* and his shoes drip drying having soaked everything including his spares.
2) He sits for snacks on the mat without being asked as that is what they do
3) he rarely chucks food on the floor anymore
4) he gives me his bowl when he has finished
5) he knows where the snacks come from
6) he is getting better and better at understanding no (then ignoring it)
7) He does stuff I would never manage to fit into the day rice pudding okay, water play, painting, etc etc
8) He is always knackered when he comoes home as he has been running around non-stop
9) A hot cup of tea and a clean top are amazing things!! (good call sunshine)

I do't really do Guilt if something has to be a certain way then it does. The first week is hard (more on us than the kids I think) but think of all the fun the lo's have, all the friends they make, and all the nappy changes you won't have to do!!! (Occasionally all the planets are aligned and all poohs happen at nursery!!)

Hope that helps a little bit

serendisglair

fluffnutter wrote: »

Feel exactly the same, katiechoc. And I'm a bit rubbish at playing with Freddie (as mentioned on candlewax's thread about nursery). It's partly lack of imagination but mainly (if I'm brutally honest) lack of interest. There's only so many brick towers you can build in a day

When he's a bit older, better at communicating and into more defined play (i.e. not just punching things) I reckon I'll come into my own. I can't wait to buy him lego. And colouring in. Do boys do colouring in? I love colouring in.

When you do need inspiration have a look on here

http://theimaginationtree.com/

lots of ideas

Saffagal

Hallo ladies

I can't add to the return to work discussion except to say that I too am dreading it, and it isn't until next year for me. Oh, and it is harder on us than LO.

Re our room, the wardrobe is built in so can't take it out and I'm already getting in/out the bottom of the bed with the moses in the room. I can however put a single mattress in her room and go in with her once she's moved. DH has spoken to some colleagues who kept their LOs in longer and struggled to get them out which is why he'd like her out. DH moving into the spare room isn't a viable option for us as my folks are coming to visit the end of July and will be staying for three months. I think he also wants her in a bit more of a routine before my folks visit.

After our brilliant night last Thurs it has not been repeated, last night she woke at 00:45, back down in a half hour then woke again at 3:30 and at 5 still wouldn't settle in her basket so brought her in next to me (following safe co-sleeping guidance) so I could get a couple hours sleep. But then she looks at me and smiles... And I know it is all worthwhile and I am SO lucky to have her.

Have made an appt with the doc this afternoon as my c-sec wound is not healing in the centre. It opened 3 weeks ago by about a cm, and I had a course of antibiotics which finished last Wed and it was healing nicely. Since Sun however, it has been deteriorating and has opened a little again. I'm so frustrated with it.

Have a good day ladies
Saf xx

serendisglair

katiechoc wrote: »

Morning ladies.

So I've been thinking and I've kind of got the opposite question - I know I'm very lucky that I get to spend all day with my boy but I do worry that he is going to be at a disadvantage (Iknow, never right!) by being at home with me all the time. When he's old enough for the free hours he will be going to nursery but obviously thats not for ages yet. I get him out to groups and things so he does socialise with other littles, but a few of you have mentionned things your LOs do at nursery that they wouldn't do at home - like what? Now he's a bit bigger I want to make sure I'm giving him enough variation in what we do so ideas on what the nurseries do with them would be great. Thanks

I don't think its necessarily things I wouldn't do at home but I think if I was a Stay at Home Mum I'd have to make myself timetable activities in to makes sure we did them.

If it helps some of the activities that he's done have been:
Music sessions
Home Corner
Black and White area
Cars
Big Animals
Dens and Tunnels
Building
Painting - toothbrush (they seemed suprised when he stuck it in his mouth??), foot painting,
Baking
Food tasting
Outside play
Free Play (the nrusery gets trashed as they can play with anything!)
Planting (he decorated a plant pot with stuck on felt and put a sunflower seed in it for mothers day)
rice pudding play
cornflake play
there are a few more

things I think he's learning from their routine and the peer/social aspect - he would learn these at home but mayube its a bit quicker when they see other kids and older kids doing it (?)

sitting down for snacks

not throwing a bowl of milk over his head to see if its empty. (First day there they sat him down at a little table with some other kids in a little chair and plonked a full bowl of cereal in front of him.....my OH and I looked on in horror and legged it quick before it was flung everywhere as we'd never fed him out of a highchair before then (well nothing liquid!)

Saying thankyou (Ta!)


There are more but I can't remember now....should work i guess

gtothec

Hi there, I'm after a bit of advice from you ladies. My daughter is nearly 13 months and has been walking since 11 months. She is so steady on her feet already and has great balance - running around everywhere - very rarely will crawl unless its to climb over something.

My problem - I cannot get her to take a single step with shoes on. She stays rooted to the spot and begins to cry. I think this is due to the strange feeling or weight of them on her feet. It's the same when she steps on the sisal doormat. She just freezes and won't step off it, just begins to cry.

The only reason I would like her to wear shoes is because she often cries when we are out and about and my husband is carrying her, and tries to wriggle free so she can get down to walk. I met my mother walking up the shopping arcade with her the other day - daughter was delighted with herself, but I was horrified to see her in her bare feet! It's only for her own safety that I want her to be able to wear them out and about. In the house she can be shoeless and carefree! Socks would be fine instead, but I'd worry she'd slip.

Any advice / tips / games to get her more used to them?

*Nutella*

My LO, also 13 months, enjoys her trips to Clarks - playing with the foot measuring thing, investigating the shoes, opening and closing buckles and straps. The photo they took the first time we went was also popular! Have you tried going somewhere like that and let her play with the shoes, maybe try some on whilst sitting on your lap? Indoors, maybe try Mocc Ons or the Mothercare own brand equivalent? Would stop her from slipping whilst maybe getting used to wearing something on her feet. Sorry don't know what else to suggest - hope you find a solution x

*Nutella*

In terms of things my LO does at the nursery, but which she wouldn't necessarily do at home, they're mainly things that require some level of creativity and artistic flair and/or that lead to a lot of mess Things like:

- Finger painting, foot painting - one day they made cardboard buses and painted them (accompanied by singing 'the wheels on the bus'). Also glitter and bits and pieces that can be glued onto paper. They've also done black and white painting (white finger painting on black paper).
- Valentine's card, mother's day card, birthday card for daddy - sticking photos on and painting.
- Messy play - yesterday they gave the baby dolls a bath in a big tub of water with lots of bubbles; apparently she got very involved in cleaning them with a little cloth! They also play with shaving foam, spaghetti, baby lotion and rice crispies. When they play with things like baby lotion, they squirt it onto the table and then they drive little cars through it.

- They also sing lots of nursery rhymes and do all the moves.
- When she was younger, they practiced passing a ball around to teach them to let things go and not just grab them.
- Sometimes they play with plastic animals and make all the sounds - apparently she spent an entire afternoon growling like a bear after one of those sessions.
- They play with things that we couldn't physically fit into our living room, like a train set.
- Sensory bottles - basically empty Coke bottles with things like colourful liquid, feathers, shiny little metal stars etc. (stuff that moves around when they turn them or roll them) that have the top taped onto them so that nothing can escape. Today they played skittles with the bottles.

I think those are the main things I can think of right now.

Oh, and Fluff - my LO loves her Duplo Admittedly she spends most of her time destroying what OH and I build, and she also enjoys banging bricks together and playing peekaboo with the little people, but it's a nice thing to do together (less dull than stacking towers) and it keeps her occupied for ages. And gradually she'll be able to start building stuff - at the weekend she tried to put two bricks together. OH and his teenage son also enjoy building stuff, so it gets them involved too

moneypenny21

I just mentioned moving Little Miss into her own room when she gets to 6 months and unfortunately OH said he needed to put up a corner shelf for her monitor and he won't have a lot of time in the next few weeks to do it. Darn shame that she'll just have to stay in with us for another few [STRIKE]months[/STRIKE] weeks

She is still sleeping brilliantly, not sure what the heck is going on, she is still really restless through the day though and doesn't seem to settle or play by herself at all - she seems tired which is crazy as she is getting more sleep now than EVER before. I think its mainly teething - I just wish she could tell me as I'm not a fan of the baby guessing game :rotfl:

Love all this talk of nursery and stuff to do at home and I already love the imagination tree blog! Our little one will be looked after by us and relatives as I go back to work just part time, I am keen on messy play (in the garden ) and think that "loud play" with musical instruments sounds perfect activity to do with the grandparents :rotfl:

Hope all mummies and babes are well

*Nutella*

Saf, how did your doctors appointment go? Really hope they can get it sorted for you asap x