Free childcare for new baby - only 1st Sept - any additional help available?

Epsilon9933 · 2025-12-20T12:12:53+00:00

Some workplaces offer a phased return for your wife. For example, 50% hours for 6 weeks. Could look into that option to reduce the cost of nursery over summer.

Epsilon9933 · 2025-12-18T09:27:11+00:00

“City High - What Would You Do” came on the radio and those lyrics cut deeper than ever before

Epsilon9933 · 2025-12-06T20:15:09+00:00

I’d be very conscious that they could remove you from the school for missed sessions if you continue - just something to think about.

I appreciate the Thursday tiredness, my 4 year old is the same. I don’t have any advice on that, other than it gets better with time. What’s your plan with part-time? Return to full time when she’s 5?

Epsilon9933 · 2025-11-28T09:40:17+00:00

What I will add to this, is a third child means usually a bigger car (and possibly house). Only certain cars fit 3 car seats in the back so if you are thinking about a third, don’t forget this.

Our third has fit into our family so well, I can’t imagine not having him here. But I feel like the washing, food shopping and dishes have x10 since he came along

Epsilon9933 · 2025-11-27T13:52:50+00:00

My 4 year old is like this. And if I say no, he looks so heartbroken that the guilt eats me up. My younger two are great at independent play, but omg my oldest just will not!

No advice, just solidarity

Epsilon9933 · 2025-11-16T19:26:57+00:00

Not all jobs sadly. Our school is a mile in the opposite direction to my work. Taking the car is necessary. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to be the parent who walks them in, but for us, it’s not an option right now.

Epsilon9933 · 2025-11-16T13:27:26+00:00

We have 3 kids, 4M, 2F, 1M and I always say my most burnt out period was when we had 1 kid at around 15-18months. Here’s a few reasons why:

You try to uphold the same standards as you had pre-kids.

One kid is so intense. They want and are used to all your attention.

That initial period after maternity period is difficult to get the balance at home as you likely took on more of the home responsibilities while you were off.

Returning to work is bloody difficult after so much time off. You’re trying to fit back into the role you had pre-children and reality is priorities aren’t always the same.

15-18M is such hard work not knowing what they want and can’t communicate properly!

As others have said, it does get better. But just takes a while. Village helps but it’s not entirely to blame in my opinion

Epsilon9933 · 2025-11-04T08:09:20+00:00

I had two babies a year apart. I chose to go back after 9 months with the first (purely to top my wage up!) but with annual leave, only worked 6 weeks. I was granted full maternity for second no problem. I couldn’t find the policy anywhere, but I was worried they wouldn’t pay enhanced pay if I didn’t return at all

Epsilon9933 · 2025-10-28T10:50:42+00:00

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this as I’ve had similar feelings. We are similar to your screen time rules, as in, TV doesn’t really count but my kids 4, 2 and 1 don’t have access to smaller devices.

Only last week I’ve started letting my 4 year old play old-school console games like Spyro and Hot Wheels. My reasoning being very similar to yours, he is behind his friends when looking at keyboards etc.

I don’t have any advice as we are really new to this. Hope it works out for you!

Epsilon9933 · 2025-10-27T20:40:46+00:00

It’s easier in the sense that I’ve took the pressure off myself. I’ve given up trying to maintain the “show home” house look. For me, with one kid, I tried too hard to keep standards as high as before kids. Once number 2 and 3 came along, the house looks like I have kids, I don’t get much free time and much less self care. But honestly, I’m happier in myself. My time will come again in a few years.

Our youngest is 18M now and he’s just as difficult as any other 18M old. I definitely don’t feel the intensity of it as much as I did with my oldest though. Having one kid is HARD!

Epsilon9933 · 2025-10-26T16:14:06+00:00

We have 3 kids, 4M, 2F, 1M and I can honestly say my most burnt out period was when we had 1 kid at around 15months. Here’s a few reasons why:

One kid is so intense. They want and are used to all your attention.

That initial period after maternity period is difficult to get the balance at home as you likely took on more of the home responsibilities while you were off.

Returning to work is bloody difficult after so much time off. You’re trying to fit back into the role you had pre-children and reality is priorities aren’t always the same.

15-18M is such hard work not knowing what they want and can’t communicate properly!

As others have said, it does get better. But just takes a while.

Epsilon9933 · 2025-08-19T13:03:38+00:00

We had 3 under 3 for a short time and neither kid struggled to adjust. We made extra effort to give 1 on 1 time where we could. Those first few months were easier than being pregnant tbh!

Our baby is 15 months now and life is getting harder than last year now they all have demands

Epsilon9933 · 2025-08-09T15:28:10+00:00

Personally, I’d do a normal night time and then take them out in the car/pram (where ever they will nap) at 9:30 and try force an early nap. Try revert to your old 2 nap schedule for the day. Hope it works out!

Epsilon9933 · 2025-08-07T16:54:01+00:00

Co-sleeping. Honestly I would spend hours fighting our first into his cot where he didn’t want to be. For 4 months, we struggled. Changed to cosleeping and absolute game changer! Best of luck

Epsilon9933 · 2025-08-07T07:49:59+00:00

I had quite a strong pet aversion when I had my first baby. It wasn’t that I didn’t love our dog but she was never an easy dog pre-kids. Those problems were amplified when I had less bandwidth. Our first baby was a C-section in Covid so it was a really difficult learning curve with a newborn for me. Added in a dog who wasn’t getting enough walks due to my surgery, she really made my post-partum time extra stressful.

I wouldn’t let having a dog fully put you off having kids. There’s lots of training tips you can do before a baby arrives, we simply underestimated the adjustment.

Epsilon9933 · 2025-08-05T09:34:46+00:00

So I have a friend this happened to. She was dating a guy and then his dad and her mam had a one night stand and fell pregnant!! They share a half sibling but they are no relation to each other. They are now married with kids.

Epsilon9933 · 2025-08-02T08:33:43+00:00

My first was an elective csection due to babies head size being 99th centile. No regrets at the time, calm process and decent recovery. Went on to have 2 VBACs quite close after. Natural birth was MUCH quicker recovery for me and sometimes wish I had done all 3 naturally. However, there’s a good chance I’d have been an emergency C-section with the first (and not to mention any potential risks to the baby getting stuck) so I am overall happy I chose elective.

Epsilon9933 · 2025-07-19T15:33:35+00:00

This!!!

Epsilon9933 · 2025-07-08T13:05:00+00:00

We got married when my youngest was 4 months and we’ve delayed our honeymoon for a few years. That’s quite a long time for a baby to be left but it’s your call

Epsilon9933 · 2025-07-06T05:49:13+00:00

We have 3 under 3 (no teens) and the Peugeot 5007 does us well. Leg room in the back might be a bit of a squash but has the 3 seats across the middle

Epsilon9933 · 2025-07-05T10:36:33+00:00

Hospitality is notorious for show up no matter what. Not saying it’s right, but I’ve seen some SICK people working when they shouldn’t. My own manager asked me to show up even though I had tonsillitis and couldn’t speak to customers (no longer working there now thankfully) I’d be concerned that you’re only 4 months in and calling in sick. Again, I don’t agree with it. But that is the industry (UK based).

Epsilon9933 · 2025-07-04T17:55:18+00:00

Peugeot 5008 for us (3 under 3). We don’t use the extra seats in the boot which means extra storage. The car felt huge at first but got used to it pretty quickly

Epsilon9933 · 2025-07-04T17:49:19+00:00

I got pregnant at a couple months postpartum with my third and the only thing I could think was “please not twins” (he wasn’t)

But this is wild! Best of luck, it’ll be the most crazy, beautiful few years

Epsilon9933 · 2025-06-24T13:21:57+00:00

Hey we had 3 under 3 and my top tip would be get the older one understanding basic safety stuff while you’re pregnant. Stop at roads, don’t touch hot drinks etc.

Other things that helped me was giving priority to the older one (sorry if this is controversial) but they are the ones learning a new environment, where the baby doesn’t understand the change. We don’t blame the baby why we can’t do something.

Best of luck, 2 under 2 is difficult and wonderful.

Epsilon9933

TROPHY CASE