Ok, so I’m not up on the Star Wars reference (I know it, but I’m possibly the only person who has not watched the film). But here’s the thing – I am going to be my children’s parent, not their friend.
It always amazes me when people say they want to be their child’s friend. It amazed me more when I heard that someone had said it on a parenting course that I had been thinking of attending. I’ve had years of experience of being a friend, so if I need a course on anything it’s certainly not that.
As we wind down (or gear up, depending on your point of view) for the summer holidays and all that traveling with young children entails, my stress levels are rising. And they have not been helped by the obligatory pre-holiday visit from the in-laws.
We are taking BabyBoy and BabyGirl to visit my parents this summer (woo hoo!). They live overseas so it’s a big deal for us to go. My in-laws, on the other hand, live a few hours drive from us and we see them all too regularly. However, this has not stopped my mother-in-law from acting like we’re emigrating.
‘Grandma’s going to miss you sooo much!’
‘You’re going for such a looong time!’
‘BabyBoy, will you talk to Grandma on the telephone while you’re away?’
Yes, she’s piling on the guilt thick and fast. And those are sentences she has said to my 2 year olds.
But as a final, parting shot she decided to remind us that she still, still, has no respect for us as parents.
My last post in the Three Great Highchairs series is mainly for those with multiples, and it is not so much for feeding as it is for bottle-feeding and specifically, tandem bottle-feeding.
Even if you exclusively breastfeed your multiples, there will be times when it will be in everyone’s interest for someone other than mum to do a feed. And if your babies are on the same schedule, chances are that either they’ll both be demanding milk at the same time, and/or you will have discovered how much time you can save by tandem feeding. This is where this particular bit of kit can help.
(A future post will deal with tandem breastfeeding.)
This is the second of three posts outlining my top three highchairs. As I said before, highchairs are a weaning essential, and choosing the right one can make your life a lot easier.
My first great highchair was the Stokke Tripp Trapp. My second takes us to the other end of the price spectrum – the Ikea Antilop.
A highchair is an essential piece of equipment while weaning, particularly if you have twins. A good highchair will contain your child(ren) safely, bring them right up to table height, and be easy to clean.
With this is mind, my next three posts will set out my top three highchairs. Continue reading
For the past two years, we have struggled with some pretty shocking tubs to dispense wipes. Then recently, I discovered this gem:
For the past few months we have been seriously thinking about having a third child. No decisions made yet, and there are some rational reasons not to have number three, but despite those reasons I have been thinking fondly about being pregnant again and having another baby, probably my last baby.
Then, the 2 year sleep regression hit.
There are so many things we want to give our children. But sometimes, reality makes that really really hard.
‘Expert advice says no screen-time for the under-2s…I’ve got a long plane journey with a wriggly 18 month old.’
‘I’m not supposed to add salt to my baby’s food…all the bread in the supermarket has salt listed on in the ingredients.’
‘Everyone says open-ended natural toys are the way forward…Grandma has just turned up with a piece of battery-powered noise-and-sound-making piece of plastic.’ Continue reading
As the shops get crowded and we begin stressing about whether we have enough food in for Christmas dinner, it’s reassuring to look at our toddlers and think that, to them, this is all extra.
A toddler doesn’t mind if the cranberry sauce has gone missing or you forgot to flambé the Christmas pudding.
Sometimes, a lot of times, parenting is hard, unrelenting work.
But if there’s a shadow of a threat to your children, suddenly the hormones kick in. Those are my wonderful, amazing children!
So although it’s a bit soppy here are 10 Great Reasons Why I Love My Kids So Much (original list from this link):
afterninemonths 