A Simpler Life 2018

VJsmum

GreyQueen wrote: »

I'm very uneasy with the idea that infants and very young children are being flown around the world. I can see a validity if this is the only way their grandparents could ever see them, being too ill to travel themselves, but for leisure travel? Is it really prudent to expose the very young to the soup of viruses, the recycled air, the physical stresses and the carcinogenic radiation?

Guilty as charged, m'lud

But..... They seem alright on it....:D

We spent quite a lot of time out of the house when the kids were small because <<whispers>> it can be quite boring :eek::eek: but not all of it was stuff that costed. Playgrounds, bike rides, going to friend's houses or them coming to ours and walks were interspersed with swimming (cheapish), playgroup (cheapish), cinema or museums. For a lot of the paid for things Mr T vouchers came in very handy.

I'm not really into competitive parenting so we didn't do much in the way of classes though they did learn to swim but I wasn't fussed on badges and so forth.

PipneyJane

Wednesday2000 wrote: »

I know what you mean about perfume. I always used to hate walking past the perfume counters in department stores.

Headache in a bottle for me. Ditto the sections where they sell perfumed candies. I know lots of people like perfumed candles, but most of those give me migraines too.

- Pip

Bluegreen143

Thanks fuddle. I totally get your point re why people take their kids to stuff. And re kids loving just messing about at home & with their parents anyway. I know all this but when everyone is listing off their week (class then soft play on their Friday off, two classes on Saturdays, going to a pricey tourist attraction on Sundays) and I’ve been off with LB the full seven days and just taken him to playgroup and the park and a walk along the canal I worry about how dull it sounds! Madness as I know he and I are doing fine! I did take him to baby swimming for 6 months and would not do so again for a future child - he started off delighted by the water at age 6m; by his birthday, when we stopped, he was terrified of it and refused to do anything at the class except cling to my neck. I’m sure they’ll be more worthwhile when he’s older if we choose to do them then.

VJsmum I know what you mean about getting out - it’s essential for harmonious days! I do take him out most days but mostly to non-newsworthy things like the park, museums which are free here (we have an excellent transport museum in Glasgow perfect for a vehicle-mad LB, and Kelvingrove museum has a great natural history section which I loved as a child too), playgroup (£2), swimming (£3ish), going over to friends’ houses.

PollyWollyDoodle

What most children want is their parents' full attention. It's debatable how much they 'learn' at these activities, and I have seen friends run ragged trying to fit everything into the schedule - and the children are often exhausted too, especially once they are at school.

Admittedly a lot of these things weren't around in my day, but my sole after-school activity was Brownies once I was the right age. Instead I read books with my mum, learned to sew and knit, did baking, played cards and board games, had friends round and went to tea at their houses AND I probably spent a fair bit of time being bored! It didn't kill me, it taught me to be resourceful. Sadly I have seen that some children don't know how to entertain themselves without either a screen or some sort of structure. Boredom encourages imagination and inventiveness. I'm never lost for something to do!

CRANKY40

I have a friend who took her daughter somewhere different every single day of the summer holidays. I have no idea how she managed it financially or otherwise. We're not having a holiday this year (we've decided that we need a year off) so we're planning a decent day out on one day each week of the 6 week summer break. That'll be enough for both of us, but we're looking forward to the three that we have planned so far.

The HT has always had plenty of friends to play with. He went to nursery three days a week when he was small and fairly quickly the friends made there started to come to our house. This carried on in school (although the two girls both a good foot taller than him that he brought home requesting a sleepover when he was 11 were a bit of a shock - the answer was no!).

Your life isn't at all dull Bluegreen and because of the time LB has spent with you he will have an excellent vocabulary too. Another one of my "hates" is seeing someone wearing headphones while pushing a pram with a wide awake child in it. Carry on with the transport museum, the HT's obsession was fish. Membership to the local seaquarium was £30 a year for me and free for him. We saw a lot of fish but it was a cheap, dry outing (and it was close to the previously mentioned outlet village where we could walk outdoors but stay dry).

moneyistooshorttomention

CRANKY40 wrote: »

Cream cleaner is also great for uPVC window sills and doors (outsides where they tend to get muckier).

There was panic stations here the other day when I got a tumeric stain on the worktops in my new kitchen - as they're (pale) Silestone (ie bloomin' expensive and meant to look good).

It was panic over when I left a puddle of cream cleaner to "sit" on top of that bit of worksurface for about 20 minutes and the stain came off. Whew!

Now got to try the same in the sink (which is also Silestone) - as "runnels" of grey have run a bit down the draining board cut-out slots into the bowl. So I guess I'll try another 20 minutes "soak" of cream cleaner and hope that restores that too.

atypicalblonde

Morning all,

De-lurking to throw my two penneth worth in . We have two children, aged 5 and 3. I have been a SAHM since they were born. We have always been the least well off in our friendship group, and many friends were amazed when we said we weren't doing NCT classes, baby massage, baby yoga, baby signing etc etc. We simply couldn't afford them and, to be honest, I didn't understand what the point of any of them was! The marketeers brainwash us into thinking babies need these things - they don't, but many people get sucked in and part with their cash as they think it makes them a better parent.

Since they were small our days out have been park trips, picnics in the garden and play dates at people's houses. We did pay to go to a local place once, but at almost £40 for around 3 hours we decided never again!

They now do one class a week each - DD swimming, DS karate. I believe water safety is necessary, and karate is channeling DS boundless energy in a positive way. I sell their outgrown clothes and no longer played with toys to fund the classes.

I got very upset last October half term seeing people's 'perfect' days out and gloating on social media each day. My DH was working away, I had a stinking cold and we didn't do much. The kids had craft days at home though, enjoyed the odd PJ day and had to use their imagination - shock horror! I came off social media shortly after that and haven't missed it at all.

I would also add, 90% of my kids clothes are second hand, either hand-me-downs or charity shops. Many of DDs peers have new coats for each term at school :eek: (they're in year 1)!

Sorry that turned into a bit of a witter. I'll go back to lurking now

System

For all those worrying about not taking your children to enough clubs etc....please stop worrying. My children never went to many and they both grew into good, honest, well rounded, intelligent adults. They are very family orientated and certainly don't hate me for my parenting skills.
I am now a grandmother and some of the best times we have had with our grandsons , have been picnics, visits to the park and playing board games at home. Although we did buy annual tickets for the Space Centre the other year, which meant for £56 we could go as many times as we liked....and we did and they had so much fun every time. We also took them on a day trip to London and bought the old fashioned ISpy books for them to fill in.....no expensive stuff just ticking off the places of interest and they loved it, as it became a competition to see which one would spot things first. My daughter let's them go to football training as it is something they are passionate about, but it is in no way to keep up with other parents.
All the things like walking in the woods, going to the park feeding the ducks, walking round museums, etc are much better for them as they learn so much about life in general and will not grow up any worse than the kids who do clubs 5 times a week.

dolly84

Bluegreen - ditch the expensive friends. I have two children age 12 & 14 and they have never been abroad, our first holidays with them were camping then caravanning, this year we are going to Edinburgh, Norfolk, London and Northumberland for our holidays. I was a SAHM we managed on one salary with no benefits apart from child benefit, our days were filled with crafts at home, baking, exploring nature, museums, stately homes, toddler group at church, play gyms occassionaly for a treat. Friends used to come round for tea and play in the garden.

My children both went to playgroup from age 2 for a couple of sessions then nursery school around age 4, by the time they went to nursery both knew the basics of telling the time, writing their own name and some reading, both of them were way ahead of all but a couple of other children in their year and have both gone to grammar school - and the competition for those places is tough.

I believe that the time spent with them early on was invaluable, they were learning every day from me, I used to explain everything to them even before they could speak.

I ignore the fancy parents I have contact with, they are trying to make themselves feel better by making others feel inadequate.

elmer

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

Fuddle,

It's the same with tap water, I have been asking for it, even in very posh restaurants, for years - now instead of looking cheap I am assumed to be taking an ethical stance! :rotfl:

Me too, I have also never used carrier bags either, I was considered mad in the 80s when I was arguing in M & S that I didn't want a bag and thy were saying I had to have one for security

Im so glad our ideas have caught on:rotfl: