Stripping off
We moved house about 2 months ago from a two bedroom flat into a three bedroom house. The house we now live in was perfectly decorated from top to bottom. We got really lucky as we got the house for a bargain price and then didn’t have to do anything to it before we moved [...]
Happy families
Families are funny things! It really surprises me how different mine and my husbands families are. We both come from large families but while his family are very close, mine is not. My Dad and my stepmother live just up the road from us with three of my four brothers, but although they are so [...]
There were 3 in the bed…
I often fall asleep while I am feeding Oscar in the night. Especially if he has had a particularly restless night. When I went to my breastfeeding workshops before Toby was born, I remember they promoted co-sleeping as one of the benefits of breastfeeding. But it scares the life out of me.
For me to pass [...]
Nighttime noises
My husband is an engineer and so he often works nights. He was working last night and left home about ten o clock. I went to bed after Oscar’s half ten feed.
Oscar woke again at one o clock and while I was feeding him I heard a little thump. I expected Toby to open his [...]
New CRB law
On the news this lunchtime they were discussing the new law that the government has brought in regarding CRB checks for those who spend time with children. The law has been amended slightly since it was first brought to the public’s attention a few months ago. Originally those people who helped families out with the [...]
Birth stories
As well as being an avid blogger, I am also a fan of Facebook. I have a large circle of friends and acquaintances, many of whom have children or are pregnant. There is one application that many people use that asks the Facebook user questions about other users. The question is then posted on both [...]
Dirtgirl
My friend has just told me about a programme on Cbeebies called Deadgirl that has a character called Crackboy in it! I was really shocked that the BBC would show this sort of programme to children and this very nearly became a post calling for it to be removed from the channel.
Luckily I decided to [...]
Good things about video games
There is an extensive discussion about the negative effects of video games: about their influence on kids inducting them to violence, to stall their studies and negative effects on their health such as overweight, sight problems, etc.
These messages can scare the parents too much and make them forget about some good points about video games. [...]
Setting family goals for the new year
It is quite common for people to make some individual goals for themselves to start the New Year. But it is also quite interesting to have some family goals too: they represent a meaningful way to share your family’s value and it helps the children to have an active role on the family’s decision-making. Don’t [...]
We should focus on limiting simple forms of violence, not just weapons
Experts on family safety have shared some reflections on school shootings to give us some guidelines to reduce violence both at school and in our whole society.
The most relevant point is not about controlling the guns.
Our society lives in a climate of fear, during these last years the most in the last five decades. But [...]
Nanny’s boy
Sometimes I think that Toby loves his nanny more than me! Yesterday she looked after the boys for a while so I could go shopping for Christmas presents. She came to our house and brought my husbands Aunt and Uncle with her.
Toby was asleep but he must have heard them all come in because it [...]
Rice rice baby
It seems to me, that people are too eager to start children on solids these days. I must admit, I have always been the sort of person to follow the rules, and Toby did not have solids until he was four months old (and that was under pressure from my husband!) Oscar is not a [...]
Hair raising
We always have trouble getting Toby to bed when we have people over for dinner. My husband’s family regularly stay for dinner as he loves to cook for them. We always eat at 5(ish) so Tony has plenty of time to play with everyone before bed. Last night we had a houseful as my husband’s [...]
Another type of contraceptive!
The four of us have just been round my husband’s uncles house for dinner. We go round there every couple of weeks, as it is easier for us to visit them as it is for them to come to us. They only live round the corner but him and his wife have six children (and [...]
All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth
Oscar has been very clingy and grumpy today. This is very out of character for him as he is usually such a happy, laid back baby. All the signs of teething are there-dribble, hard gums, sore ears and a crazy amount of eczema! Toby didn’t suffer too much with his teeth but it seems poor [...]
Millie Martin
Another tragic event in the news this week. A fifteen month old baby died following “horrific injuries” thought to be caused by a 30 year old man.
I really don’t understand how anyone can hurt such a defenceless child. I feel awful if Toby stubs his toe! And obviously the whole teething issue with Oscar is [...]
Water-lot of fun
Yesterday we took the boys to the local swimming pool. I have taken Toby every week since he was 8 months to ensure that he becomes confident in the water. Obviously our trips have been cut down a bit since Oscar was born as I now have to drag someone else along with me to help with [...]
Travel trouble
For all Toby’s talk about cars, he is not a very happy passenger. He will climb into his car seat without much fuss, and short trips are usually no problem. But asking him to sit still in the car for more than ten minutes is asking for trouble! Oscar falls asleep the second he is [...]
Infertility – from Women’s Angle
Most American women know that age is an important factor in the success of fertility treatments, finds a new survey of 763 women, aged 18 and older, including 125 women who’ve had fertility treatment.
The HealthyWomen poll found that 88 percent of respondents were under age 35 when they first sought medical [...]
Rubbish game
While we were waiting for my mother-in-law to finish her appointment, I had to keep Toby entertained. I had forgotten to bring any toys for Toby to play with, so I had to use my imagination.
First I sat us all down in the little cafe and brought a cup of tea for me and an [...]