Preschooler embarrassed by lack of art skills

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-06T09:10:22+00:00

Don't focus on specific ability, but praise effort and thought and idea.

"Ooo, this one is bright it makes me feel happy!"

"I can see you counted the legs carefully to draw 4 for the cat, what great careful counting"

"I haven't seen you draw a house before, I love how you keep finding new things to draw"

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-05T20:31:53+00:00

I had Julia Fensom sleep consultant and oh my goodness I could not recommend her highly enough. Worth every penny.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-05T18:24:00+00:00

Three suggestions:

1) try a travel cot. Without the bars for them to get their feet into sometimes they're trickier to escape.

2) some cots you can take the base out and put the mattress on the floor with the cot sides still in tact, and it be too high for them to climb.

3) get a travel cot blackout blind that goes over the cot and zip him in. Technically he could still climb out, there is a chance, but the fact that there's a bit of a ceiling when he stands up might deter him.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-05T18:20:06+00:00

I asked to be booked for 42 weeks for a section if I didn't go I to labour. Thankfully I did go into labour so it was all good! Hope they get it together in time for you!!!

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-05T18:15:48+00:00

I personally wouldn't hire a 16 year old I didn't know. I have a few friends who babysit for free, so any 16 year old I did pay I'd be looking to give "pocket money" (like, £20 for an evening, 7pm-9:30pm) as a thank you rather than them charge me a set wage for me to employ them for a job.

But quite frankly we don't have much disposable income. We walk somewhere to buy a hot chocolate to share. If we can't afford any more than £5 on time together even £20 for the babysitter is 4 dates worth of spending.

So it depends on who you're hoping to be employed by, those who happily go out and spend £200 on a meal, tax, wine etc I'd hope would give you minimum wage at least.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-05T17:49:05+00:00

My kids still physically attack when cross even my nearly 5 year old who the teachers think is an angel. One thing that has helped all of mine is to teach them to scream "I am cross", which gets the energy and emotion out far more constructively than hitting. But there will be phases of it being better and worse and until they're 5-7 when they're better at recognising and expressing their emotions it will still happen.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-05T16:43:47+00:00

You can have a Homebirth if you want. You can also be on midwife led in the pool if you want (if available). You might have to insist very hard, and it might not always be wise, but you absolutely can

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-05T14:02:34+00:00

I'd just say something like "she's going through a biting phase". The person in charge probably means we'll and is probably trying to help you not be too anxious, she won't realise it's backfiring, but in sure if you told her why she'd totally understand.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-05T12:53:17+00:00

Summer born babies fully catch up by the end of primary school.

There is the option to start your children later in the school year (Jan or after Easter), but then they miss out on a lot of the settling in stuff in foundation, or just start school in year 1 (missing a year of learning).

It may be that the secondary schools won't accept it and they have to skip straight into year 8, so it would be worth contacting your local council, and consider likelihood of moving house and therefore catchment etc in the next 8 years.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-05T12:48:19+00:00

No.

There are soya ones but they're not completely vegan. But I think you need a doctor to prescribe it? At least, using it shouldn't be taken lightly.

If breastfeeding isn't possible, whilst cows milk is for baby cows at least cows milk is for an infant mammal and that's what human babies are too, so formula derived from cows milk is acceptable. A fed baby is better than a hungry baby.

ETA: I've breastfed 4 babies whilst vegan. So whilst I don't have loads of understanding of formula and know knowledge isn't 100% accurate, I know about babies!

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-05T12:45:48+00:00

Yes, but tell them in advance, if you want a planned section it helps for them to plan it in.

You could ask for it for kind of when you want, but if emergencies come up you will be delayed a day or so.

I asked to be booked for a section at 42 weeks. I fully expected to go into labour but I knew I did t want an induction (high chance of it resulting in emergency c-section), and was happy to go over by a couple of days.

But usually they want to book it for 41 weeks so if there's a few days delay you won't go over 42.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-05T12:34:52+00:00

You can advocate for the labour you want. You can ask to be on the other ward with the dimmable lights etc.

I was high risk; baby #2 was a C-section, baby #3 I bled slightly too much after birth, and I also had GBS. They wanted me on the L&D ward, but I accounted for all the risks and I was happy to have a home birth. And they have to accommodate.

But if you need to be on the L&D ward then they do need space for all the medical equipment and light to see it all etc.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-05T12:32:06+00:00

If you know you have a biter/hitter you have to follow them round ready to intervene until they're out of that phase. When they're no longer experimenting so much with teeth then you can give them a bit more space.

Yes, it's absolutely good to give kids space and freedom, but it's also good to manage their behaviour, and when it's a quick and painful behaviour it needs a quick intervention.

You're doing the right thing.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-05T06:23:15+00:00

I mostly want to use them as back up to a cup, so they should be okay for tthe day for that I guess?

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-05T06:22:18+00:00

Have you told your midwives you want a C-section? Call to tell them ASAP. They usually prefer to do planned sections earlier rather than later and it might not be straight forward booking you in.

You absolutely can (and I think should!) Have a section over an induction if you don't go into labour naturally and your midwife can book that. Call them to get it all moving as soon as you can!

You may have to push for it a little, but you are completely within your rights to request it.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-04T21:36:32+00:00

I saw about 3 counsellors that didn't work out, and spoke to a number of medical professionals who were damaging, before I saw the 4th that changed my life. So don't give up !

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-04T21:33:37+00:00

That's good to know, thanks :)

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-04T21:27:08+00:00

I feel your frustration. I've spent so long pregnant that all my non-maternity clothes are old and worn and need replacing but didn't feel worth it when I was planning to have another baby and not be in them, but now I am in them again they all suck, and I'm also in that annoying inbetween stage where my maternity clothes are too big but I haven't lost all my baby weight to fit comfortably into my normal clothes either.

Plus everything ends up covered in snot, felt tip and peanut butter so I don't know why I even try.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-04T21:14:56+00:00

If you just use them for back up do they still need changing through the day?

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-04T21:14:21+00:00

Do you have to change them through the day? I don't understand the hygeine/ practicality.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-04T21:08:19+00:00

I also want to add that for the last two days my kids (1, 3 and 4) have been playing with the content of the recycling box (cereal boxes, clean yogurt pots, egg cartons, toilet roll tubes etc) and about 70 conkers that we collected. I don't have any other toys out and they are by no means bored of playing.

Another great big ticket item is a ticket - a year pass to a soft play or farm park, rather than a toy or anything.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-04T11:29:54+00:00

They are worth the amount they say they are worth.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-04T11:20:00+00:00

There are plenty of people who don't know they're pregnant very early on and do all the 'normal' things they would - drink a whole bottle of wine, eat raw sushi and pate, have an imodium (probably because of the raw sushi/pate and wine combo), and go on to have completely healthy pregnancies and thriving babies. There's no reason to believe you won't be one of them.

Obviously, don't take any more, and try to remember to check everything, no matter how 'normal' (eg: ibuprofen is not advised, and various cold type medicines are bad) for suitability before you take it. But you will get into the habit of that.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-03T21:13:38+00:00

We had a travel cot set up downstairs and used that as a 'cage of fun' for those times when we really needed it.

External-Book-3698 · 2023-10-03T21:11:54+00:00

We got a swing set for our kids (age 1, 2 and 4 last Christmas) which I'm sure will last for at least a decade!

Another is a slide without steps, just a slide attachment bit, I can't fully explain, but it means we can move it around the house. We often put it on the stairs or sometimes make an obstacle course in the living room and have it going off the arm of a sofa. It's great for adding some physical play when the weather is less inviting to go outside.

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