which generally " accepted" parenting protocols do you not go along wiht

[codJane]

here

cleanign babies teeth - never really bothered

That was an answer to Rantmum btw. This one's racing away isn't it!

I love baby swimming lessons.

Don't know if DD does, but it gets me out of the house.

I called my children "naughty" when they were younger.
Now I know better.....
and call them "the spawn of the devil".
They don't seem too scarred - yet.

Hmmmm, I buy the shoe thing (quite literally!) but do wonder now that clarkes shoes are machine washable just how super-dooper-fitted only to your precious one they really are?!

Have stopped bothering to wash everything before its worn now, although did that with PFB until he was 5!

making them sit at the table.

i love food and sitting with dh/friends at dinner and chatting. the sooner the dcs toddle off to play the better. and all of them manage well when they're out with table manners, all of them eat well.

why bother with all that nagging? "sit still, eat up, blah"

i am hated by many sils/ mils etc for not enforcing the "sit still and shut up" policy on dcs

LOL at spawn of the devil children!!!! I call mine spawn of your father - they think its a compliment, its not!!!

With you there rattle. Have memories of being excruciatingly bored having to sit at table and wait while my parents finished dinner and chatting. Surely it's more fun for everyone if they can get down when they're done.

Oooh yes. I remember when I first met DP and went to stay with his dad - and his dad was still like that with us even though we were adults, all that sitting up at table stuff. Madness!

Vigourously pursuing a place at "the best" school bloody miles away.

Cos I can teach her to read and count, I want school to teach her to get along with other people, in a school walking distance away, where her schoolfriends live close enough to play with.

In short, I want more than training for her right now.

Message withdrawn

I tyhink it is unhealthy to have babies in a swimming pool at 4 months

whats wrong with splashing in the bath fgs

Oh god, so many things:

Entertaining children all day - ie. playing with them all the time. It's very dull as a rule, and I'm not five and I don't see why I should pretend to be five. She is five, I don't expect her to pretend to be 38 and drink coffee and talk a lot on the telephone, so all's fair I think.

Get in a twiddle about schooling. Can't be bothered, it'll all come out alright. Who cares if they're on level 3 or 46? I don't.

Be strict about homework.
Am just damn lazy, and I don't see the point of it at Primary.

And then just general things about cleanliness and hygiene.

so what

dd1 hated swimming until she was 2

now is uber swimmer at 7

Hate the idea of baby swim classes too. Seems so pushy. Every mum I know in my area has done it except me though.

Took dd to a pool when she was about 7 months. She really enjoyed splashing about and loved watching the other kids in the pool which she obv doesn't get from her bath unless I can face having a lukewarm one with her.

pmsl at 100x

I think this is about things WE thought are a waste of time - not necessarily judging other parents

personally I think swimming pools are pretty yucky cold places for babies so I have never done it

both dd1 and dd2 are excellent swimmers despite not having any formal lessons until 4 so I dont think its worth it just to make your children water confident

But but but surely people don't go to swimming lessons/tumbletots/singing/music blah because they think it's good for their toddlers do they? You just do it for SOMETHING TO DO, to stop yourself going completely crazy? That's why i did. Not swimming though, couldn't be doing with all that changing room malarky and those weird changing tables and tired ladies in swimsuits fighting with water nappies.

I LOVE THIS THREAD!

Especially the non-cleaning-of-baby-teeth part, I'm not very good at remembering and when i do, ds just wants to suck the toothpaste off.

Washing clothes in seperate powder/liquid. Did it at first. Will NEVER be doing it again.

exactly ahundred times! i completely agree with you.... being stuck in with a child or too and no adult company can be just so draining.... going to music / swimming / tumbletots etc gets you out of the house on a rainy day and the routine helps the weeks to 'whizz' by rather than drag.... especially the cold wet winer months!

I can't stand public pools either. How anyone can bear to immerse themselves in that foetid reeking tepid macrobiotic chemical soup I will NEVER understand. Ugh, with knobs on.

Clarks shoes - what a rip off