car hire firm are refunding in full 😀

I am in awe of anyone who did that. We went to watch as usual but had to go pretty quickly as small boy’s waterproof suit was too small and he was getting pretty cold.

Don’t really properly boycott anything, but I will never, ever buy or use anything from Lush due to their funding of hunt saboteurs.

I will never buy anything from lush because even walking past the shop makes me want to vomit. I don’t think I would actually be able to make it inside.

Yes always wanted them. Don’t get me wrong there was still a lot of soul searching before we actually decided to go for it, but then its amazing how thinking you may not be able to have them after all makes you finally sure. Even then though, first words on getting the +test were “oh sh1t what have we done”. He’s 2 tomorrow and it has been the absolute best 2 years of my life by a long long way. I haven’t ever had such an intensity of emotion about anything before, I have laughed more and cried more in the last 2 years than the rest of my life put together I reckon.

IMO it’s something you need to be completely honest about though and if your decision is that you don’t want them, be prepared for your relationship to be over. I know plenty of women who have split up with partners because they want children and partners didn’t.

There’s a LOT more to Grizedale than just the trail centre…

this.

If he gets your wheels off the ground Nettles, I really will believe in miracles.

I agree with the “if you’re prepared to take it you should be prepared to give it” sentiment. I’ve also just signed up to the Anthony Nolan register. I asked about platelet donation last time I gave blood, but apparently my veins are too ladylike.

Bigsurfer I’m 5ft2 and vary between 8.5 and 9 st and never notice affects from giving blood.

You get crisps after at our donation centre now.

I have heard nothing but good things about Up, so I will give it another go.

+1 for The Best of Men last night, one of the best things I’ve seen on tv for a long time and a definite tear-jerker at the end.

I fail to see how capital punishment and euthanasia are the slightest bit related.

And no, completely opposedto capital punishment.

Would you like some numbers for local estate agents?

Friend of mine fell pregnant during her A Levels. She’s a solicitor now, did her degree and lpc part time whilst bringing up a baby, I have the utmost respect for her.

pretty much word for word what Woody74 said.

Damn you all I keep reading the title as stw cocks now.

How do you know that?
Given the various methods of effective contraception freely available, there is a reasonable chance he didn’t use any. Of course, it may have been planned, he may have been tricked, your guess is as good as mine but it wouldn’t be in the traditon of STW to have a discussion knowing all the facts

or shock horror it could have been contraception failure. Just possibly they were both being responsible, no contraception is 100% so maybe having had that accident they are facing up to their responsibilities and having the baby and doing the best they can in the circumstances?

Nettles it’s me, G&T goes without saying!

Prawns done in lime juice and chilli, served on a little gem lettuce leaf.

this might be the winner.

I haven’t seen Up. I got about 10 mins in and was crying so much I turned it off. Toy Story 3 I made the mistake of going to see just before Ted was born, so completely hormonal anyway. I nearly flooded the cinema at the start when he’s packing up to go to college because our as yet unborn baby will leave home one day. The John Lewis ad that was on that Christmas had the same effect. Pathetic!!!

Have you tried stripwashing your nappies? They could have a build up of washing powder in them which stops them being as absorbent.

We have always used metanium which seems to clear it up really quickly, but other friends swear by that bottom butter stuff you can get in Waitrose.

Fantastic!! Ted’s not quite got the hang of his balance bike yet, it’s slightly too big still – but I can’t wait 😀

Those who are complaining about the venue, perhaps a good idea might be getting off your moany @rses and finding a venue and putting on your own, better 24 hour race then?

I love SITS, it’s a whole lot of fun in the dry, and a whole different special kind of fun in the wet.

Above the waterline is the key thing.

Nah, newborns have that innate breathing underwater reflex thingy, it’ll be fine.

It varies hugely from area to area I think. We pay £3.90 per hour for a childminder, nurseries around here are around £45 – £50 per day, childminders round her go up to about £4.50 per hour. I think most places offer a sibling discount but only usually about 10%?

Don’t forget you need to look at childcare across both your salaries not just your wifes and also going back to work isn’t just about the money

ETA, sorry I didn’t mean that last sentence to sound quite so patronising!!

I am so sorry to read this. I also would suggest contacting http://www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk – I know my Dad had a lot of help from them after my mum died.

I also second the suggestion above to go on mumsnet, there is sadly a bereavement section on there with a number of posters who have been through similar and will be able to offer advice and a listening ear.

Lastly, you WILL get through this – speaking as a child whose mum died so was left with just my dad, I have the utmost admiration for how he coped, and you will cope too.

a lot of people seem to be using the red button, unaware that they are available as proper channels as well.

please enlighten me as to how cos I didn’t know this.

stw member in admitting they are not always right shocker 😉

There’s pros and cons though GrahamS, I didn’t like the staff turnaround you get in some nurseries and also wanted him to be in a family home rather than nursery setting.

If it’s a payg though then there might not be any record of the owner.

ETA; C&P from mumsnet;

From west Yorkshire police fb page:

Detectives investigating a 999 call to the ambulance service which claimed to be a three-year-old girl reporting her mum collapsed at home have now established the call was a hoax.

Unusually the number that made the call was not identifiable and could not initially be traced. Investigations subsequently identified a mobile phone number and traced it to Bridlington.

Two ten-year-old girls living there were identified and have been spoken to by officers this afternoon.

Officers are now liaising with the girls’ parents and partner agencies to take appropriate action.

Detective Chief Inspector Lisa Griffin, of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “We are pleased that our investigation has shown that we don’t have a vulnerable little girl out there with her mum collapsed beside her, although it is obviously incredibly frustrating that this has turned out to be a hoax

“We are very grateful to the public and the media for all the support they have given us in appealing for information over this incident. We treated the call as genuine on the basis of what was said what could be established in the initial stages of the investigation. Our priority is always to help the public and protect life as was our overriding focus in this investigation.

“This incident again highlights how misuse of the 999 system can cause significant unnecessary work for the emergency services who have limited resources to deal with genuine calls for help from members of the public. We hope it will help to remind people of the serious consequences of misusing the 999 system.”

I have just changed to pt actually, I did return ft and did that for just over a year. I originally asked to come back pt but my request was refused, I knew it would be as I didn’t have the kind of job you can do pt unfortunately, and me not working at all is not currently an option.

He was 7m when I went back and I did phase it in using holiday, so the first month I did 3 days a week, and then the second month I did ft, but with1 day a week from home. It probably does depend on your jobs as well, but I have a job with fairly unpredictable hours, and I work a long day to start with (our core hours are 8.30-5.30) but when it’s busy we were often not picking him up till 7pm. Rich works long hours as well (standard time for him to get home is 7), and I think it really only works if one of you is doing that kind of hours, not both.

I’ll be honest it was really tough, but of course you do get used to it, and the childcare is key to that because you really do need to know that they are settled. We did a few settling in sessions (afternoons) before I went back to work, which went really well, so I never actually worried that he was unhappy with her. We were also lucky in that he never got separation anxiety, so didn’t go through the whole tears at drop off etc which is one good thing. And as I said above after a month or so, I never needed to worry about him when I was at work as I knew he was in the best possible care second to him being with one of us.

However, the guilt that he spent more time with her than with us was pretty horrific – and actually got worse rather than better I am afraid – partly as he got older and more aware and partly due to stress within my job affecting my pre-existing MH issues, which is why I am now part time! I am really lucky that an opportunity came up for a different role within my company, so I now do 3.5 days a week which is working great for us.

Sorry, I’m probably not doing much to reassure your wife am I ? I do know plenty of people who work ft and get on fine, and I am aware that a lot of my guilt about it is due to circs in my childhood and resulting ishooos so I may not be the best person to ask if truth be told. I think if she actually wants to go back to work that is a pretty good starting point, so she may be fine, and I’m sure will do better than I did.

Joe, that was exactly what it was with the CM I mentioned, when I saw her at the playgroup I didn’t see her interact at all with the children in her care.

Blindmelon, no question is too silly when it comes to looking after your children, surely?

Leaving Ted to come back to work is easily the hardest thing I have ever done, and the fact that I don’t have the slightest worry about him when I am at work speaks volumes for my cm, and the relationship Ted, Rich and I have not only with her but her whole family.

you can’t really pay them too much if you find someone you genuinely trust and is like a second member of the family. When they become indespensible ie when your life wouldn’t work without them, then it’s time to see the money as well spent and not extorted.

exactly this.

I’ve never heard of paying while a CM is on holiday! I know some do half when they are and half when you are, but never full price for both. That’s bonkers! No-one I looked at does that.

Also (depending on what sort of job you do obv) ask about fees for late collection. Some charge for a full hour even if you are just 15 mins late, ours just pro-ratas.

It’s illegal to pay a CM if they are not ofsted registered, so if she’s not walk away straight away. It means they’ve not done the correct first aid, EYFS stuff etc etc.

We don’t pay our cm when she’s on holiday, I thought that was normal? We pay if we are, but not her.

Check her approach to discipline etc is similar to yours. Does she have a network of other cms she can rely on if she is sick, or would you have to take emergency leave if she was? Watch how she interacts with the other children in her care while you are there, as well as with yours.

I think it’s really important to go by gut feeling, no matter how well vetted etc by ofsted, if something niggles with you, you won’t feel comfortable leaving your child with them. I turned down a CM when I was looking because something didn’t sit right, and I have since come across her at a playgroup and seen her in action so to speak and it has reinforced the decision for me.

Layering is the key to warmth, we always leave his socks on, then appropriate long or shortsleeved vests and fleecy sleepsuit, blanket on top of the thermarest, so underneath him, then 2.5tog normal grobag. If it’s really cold, he comes in with us so we can make sure he’s warm enough.

Am a bit confused as to why that quote is attributed to me but anyhow, we’ve camped quite a few times with Ted and have never had anyone being funny about it, most people think it’s great you are taking a small child camping. If he wakes in the night we tend to then take him in with us to keep him quiet. If he does wake I tend to apologise in the morning to anyone nearby anyway.

TBH if you go camping, I think you expect a bit of noise and to not get a great nights sleep, I know I do, even before children.

null

tick.

WE have a hammax we are looking to sell if you are interested.

Find you local childrens hospice and donate to them?

for your mini-cynic-al.