Jeremy Vine discussion on parent v outward facing prams - Katie Hopkins, shut UP!!!

[acatcalledfelix]

Not sure if there's been a thread on this but I've only just had chance to listen to it.

It was interesting listening to the different opinions and how strongly people feel. Personally I love parent-facing but I'm not going to get evangelical about it. But, as usual, it was the Katie Hopkins contribution that made me shake my head and want to go and give her a slap! whenever she opens her mouth such utter drivel comes out of it.

I refuse to watch it. What did she say?

Something like how we need to make our children face the world from day one, and make them realise that there is more to the world than mummy and daddy. She also said throw away all books, including the red book, and just follow our instincts. Now, I think I'm a bit rubbish at being an instinctual mummy, but if Katie Hopkins thinks that what she is then I'm about as instinctual as you can get.

didn't hear it but generally she is irritating - though I do agree with her about the books actually (though not the red one - useful as a record of their immunisations at the least). I think the very fact that there are so many completely contradictory ones out there is proof in itself that there is no one right way and I think too many new parents doubt their instincts and common sense because they assume it MUST be hard or else there wouldn't be all the books. They read lots and if many many posts on here are anything to go by, get totally confused and lose any confidence they might have had.

I bet she hasn't actually got children. I bet she's never had to deal with a screaming, hopelessly overstimulated two-month old that can't go to sleep despite being desperately tired because it's been 'facing the world'. Never listen to advice from someone who hasn't been there...

She has got two, possibly three children. She's infamous only having three weeks maternity leave, not because of money but because she felt that was all that was necessary. I suspect she's at the opposite end of the spectrum from "attachment parenting"!

She sounds awful. Glad I've never encountered her. Sounds like the sort of woman I'd like to punch IRL.

I can't listen or watch Katie Hopkins.

I was very kindly given an outward facing three-wheeler when I had dc1 (was poor). No decision or soul searching and therefore no subsequent guilt.

I had a outward facing pram with dd1 (didn't know anything about prams as she was my first) and have a parent facing one this time as I think it will be easier to keep an eye on the child.
Having said that dd has always been very outgoing and friendly with strangers even from when she was very little and sometimes I wonder if it was because she was always facing other people and seeing other people smile at her and talk to her etc......not sure.

Yama, my first pram for dd was an outward facing 3 wheeler and I really loved it.

From about 10 weeks old, DS screamed blue murder in his parent facing pram. Now he is 6 months old and since we've bought a forward facing buggy (about 15 weeks) he stopped crying and most of the time enjoys being out and about. He loves being able to look around. It depends on the child. I intended to keep him facing me for longer but he was clearly frustrated.

I loved it too Ivor.

hmmm this is interesting, I am pg now and wondering about this very thing and whether it matters at all. I'm sure there are plenty of happy kids facing lots of different ways...

My new pram actually faces both ways (the seat lifts off) maybe that is an option too redhead.
I have this one www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HAUCK-iCOO-PEAK-8-PRAM-CARRYCOT-PUSHCHAIR-STROLLER-/190544839709?pt=UK_Baby_BabyTravel_Pushchairs_GL&hash=item2c5d5b841d

I had a face-either-way one from Mothercare in 1985!!!

it didn't lift off, it swivelled - obv it was recommended to remove the baby first

\link{http://sebastianconran.com/project-4\like this in principle} although mine was a bit beefier

wow that sounds cooler than mine ponders! :)

well it was certainly quite handy, not sure about cool

buggies were so cheap & basic in those days; I am really shocked at how complex & expensive they are now - not your one on ebay particularly, Allboxedin, but some of them are like £5-600

Why is this a matter for discussion on Jeremy sodding Vine?

redhead outward facing or sideways facing or even upsidedown will only make a difference if you can get the baby into the sodding expensive pushchair in the first place. Ours screamed herself fit to puke every time we put her in the pram and had to go everywhere by sling as a result. But don't go getting the idea that slings are the magic solution to all problems. Some of them hate those just as much.

Believing that your pushchair set up will determine language development or independence or a anything like that is the royal road to madness.

All 4 of mine have had a parent facing pram/buggy for at least 1 year and they all loved being able to talk to and see me. Why people think that a forward facing enables them to see the world more baffles me. My dc's regularly pointed things out over my shoulder. It wasn't like I was completely blocking their view.

Have never heard of Katie Hopkins but she does sound a bit of a loon. She tells you not to read books but then she only has 3 weeks maternity leave, does she not think she might encourage others so is in fact championing a new parent style.

@ Veronica
I suspected as much....
I think we are going to hold off buying a pram until we actually have the baby and then see what we need. If it's happy in a sling then I'm happy not to fork out £££ for stupid massive prams that it'll probably hate.

I particularly like my parent facing pushchair when we are walking through crowds as DD is otherwise the right level to have bags swung into her and cigarette ash flicked on her. Maybe Katie Hopkins just had very ugly babies.

Both DD's have been parent facing. (Dual facing buggy)
DD1 till about 18mths
DD2 about 12mths.... shes currently 15mths and have just bought a smaller/lighter forward facing buggy for the 10 min walk I will be doing when DD1 starts pre-school in sept.
I now use both buggies depending on where we are going and what we are doing.

I have loved having them both facing me and have definately found a difference in conversation levels when they are facing away.

Its a shame there arent more smaller and lighter strollers/buggies that are parent facing too.

I wouldnt preach to anyone about it as each to thier own. This Katie woman sounds a nightmare.

THing is, you don't know what they will like til you meet the child. I went for forward facing as I wanted an off road pram, and DS is fine in it. In fact when he has been rear facing he spends all his time craning round trying to see where he is going.

And the idea that older babies should be faced inwards in a baby carrier wouldn't have any truck with DS as he loves facing out and grabbing at stuff.

I think he thinks he gets enough conversation at home and when we're out and about there are more interesting things to look at than boring mummy who he sees all the time!

My mothercare spin goes either way, but mostly we have it parent facing, I like to be able to pull faces at ds

Preferred a parent facing one early on because i've always chatted to my DS and believed it was important during the early stages to establish a bond by interacting. Logic would suggest that as they learn from their nearest and dearest it's a good thing to have them facing you initially.

As soon as he was awake more and taking notice of/ seeming to enjoy the world around us he went outward facing (about 4 months), but i still chat to him at 9 months. He just gets very bored of mummy and wants to be looking at far more interesting things nowadays.

He's always been passed around my family and has met lots of different people and gone to lots of different places so i really don't think he has suffered from a lack of outward facing experience.... he knows there's more to life than mummy and daddy, and he's a terrible flirt. We're just his favourites, which is exactly how it should be.