November 2014 - the one where they answer back.

[MrsAukerman]

New thread.
Hop aboard.

Argh, didn't know there is 2 year sleep regression! Anyhow, in comparison with many other thread babies (are we still allowed to call them babies?! ) DD hasn't stopped to have sleep regression since about year ago when so many started to sleep through regularly.

So I decided to have a look at potties on Amazon thinking I would start slowly get an idea in her head. I wish I never looked! Good grief, the amount of them!! With a tune, nonslip legs, high back, bells, whistles and peppa pig. I feel really confused with the variety and what exactly is important stuff to look at? I suppose easy to clean is important. What else?

Strawberry buy the £1 asda one get a couple let her decorate with stickers they all do same job 😁

strawberry I bought a potty a while back when she kept going on about poo (it has been rarely used for anything other than a prolonged argument when she insists she is going to 'wee wee potty' but doesn't, keeps getting off potty then shouting 'nooo wee wee potty' when I try and put a nappy on and sitting back on it!). Just as with DD1 I got the basic one on Amazon, no singing, dancing, gimmicks, just plain plastic. It did the job well enough last time.
I have been wondering how on earth it will work when I seriously tackle potty training. It is recommended that you just stay at home for the first days so the potty is on hand, which was fine with DD1, but, obviously, we have to get DD2 to and from school, and I just know that DD2 will insist on needing to use the potty just as we are rushing out the door and I won't be able to say no. How will we ever get to school on time?

I think this is one of the reasons everyone says to wait till summertime! That and the high probability of wet trousers.

Ark how did Sunday go?

I've got a bit of a plan about potty training. I've tried it a bit before, but given up, bit half-hearted about it so far, and DH not fully behind it yet, so it fell by the way-side.
As you guys know, he's trained for poo. He'll either tell us, or we put him on after meals and he'll go. He will also wee if we put him on the toilet, but can't tell us in advance that he's ready to go, so we'd have some accidents each day.
However, last night, after a full 12 hour sleep, he woke up totally dry, and did a massive wee on the loo first thing. That suggests his bladder is definitely ready for it. (or he's dehydrated...hmmm). I think I'm going to give it a go next week, as DH is off work.
I'm going to start by putting him on the loo at transition times, so when he wakes up from night time, or nap, then before and after meals, and before and after we go out somewhere. Will keep an eye on the time and try to give him a chance every 1.5 hours or so.
But, should i put him in training pants, or keep nappy on? Training pants will give us more 'accidents', but he'll be more aware of the consequences of being wet (trouser change, wash etc), than with a nappy, where we'd just change him. We use cloth nappies anyway, so I'm not bothered about extra laundry.
And, how to deal with nursery? Despite my asking, they don't pop him on the loo (which I understand, they can't be away from their other charges for a long time), but I'd need their support. I don't think I'd get it until I said I was putting him in pants.
Wow, what a ramble.. thoughts anyone?
ark hope you are OK. xx

I'm planning on using training pants just as a psychological help to illustrate nappies are gone. He uses pull ups but he has been using them so long he just calls them nappies, so I'll have to buy the most garish ones I can find when the time comes to make them different.

We're nowhere near ready. He can tell us when there's a poo only when it's er.....a turd. When it's a wet poo he's oblivious. He's always always been oblivious to wet nappies so we definitely have to wait till he can identify wetness.

I like idea about stickers on a potty! DD is seriously into peppa pig, she even started to ask for brushing teeth since I bought her a peppa brush. I recon a piggy potty could do a miracle... I almost got a heart attack this afternoon when popped in local Morissons and they had peppa pig kitchen bang in front of entrance on BF deal. Miraculously, DD didn't notice the boxes so I was spared a huge tantrum.

I am constantly steering DD away from peppa pig merchandise...

Dd is not aware of needing the loo at all. She regularly says 'poo coming' which then doesn't appear. It wouldn't surprise me of this was her tricking us. When she's naughty and I say 'that's not funny' she replies 'it is a bit funny mummy'. The nerve.

Birthday went well but the dinosaur cake ended up looking a little bit 'phallic' much to the amusement of adult members of the family.

Little xmas markets trip was great fun and dd slept on both flights and even slept in til 8.30 on one morning, that has NEVER happened before!! It's been a great week in my parenting journey :)

Birthday party tomorrow - up to 80 people coming!!!!! What have I done?????

MrsA that sounds more like a wedding

Lol I only had 70 at my wedding! You must have a huge family!

Had a wobble this morning when I brightly suggested that myself and DH swap kids and I (for first time since baby was born) dress DS and he dressed DD.

DS freaked! I got his nappy off and he became hysterical, clinging to it and wailing and not letting me touch him. He was making himself sick with screaming so DH took over and DS instantly stopped crying. and then let him get him dressed as meekly as a lamb. And all was forgotten.

I felt utterly shit. DS has always been a Daddy's boy but this was something else. He's just not used to me dressing him as DH gets up with him and sorts him whilst I feed DD upstairs. It's horrible to feel like you've taken a step back with your kid.

Don't get me wrong, he's very very fond of me - but he's become used to DH being his primary caregiver. I have to keep telling myself that it's meant to be a team effort and it doesn't matter. Just.....ugh.

Oh anna 2yrs on I still feel like that ds1 is v v much a daddy boy now and perhaps he always would have been, I still do lots with him on his own but he adores ds2 so always wants him to tag along. I am also the firmer parent daddy is fun and soft so that could be more of a reason.

Hello!

Sunday went okay thankyou. Dd actually ended up spending the day with him again on Thursday because he suddenly had to go away this weekend ( which I since Have found out he's away on a ' lads weekend' - isn't that lovely for him!)

Not having a great week. Being a single parent is so bloody tough. Dd is poorly with a cold, which makes her sick so I'm up to my eyes in washing and not having a second to myself cause she's so clingy. Feeling angry and jealous that he gets to piss off and do as he pleases and I have to be the responsible parent in her life. Of course I wouldn't want it any other way but it's not fair is it?

I can't Believe it's birthday time again!

anna about year ago if DH was holding DD and would try to pass her over to me to go to loo or something she would start to cry. He was definitely her number one for long time. ATM she can't decide who is who, sometimes she wouldn't have anything with DH and then it's the 'persona non grata'. In October we were flying to go on holidays, during the landing she suddenly decided she wanted to sit on DH's lap and full stop. Hence mahoosive strop, which was only over once we landed and it was safe to unstrap her and pass over. She was screaming, arching and kicking so bad you would think I was some baddie trying to kidnap her.
Surely it's just a stage and in no time DS and DD will swap you between you two themselves.

Well last night DD was just fed and DH suggested he take her and I bring DS up for his bath. Again, first time since baby was born. I was a teensy bit nervous he'd freak but he didn't mind a bit! And I had a lovely time! apart from a traumatic sudden appearance of a poo in the water omg

And this morning I was emboldened to try dressing him again, and distracted by his own body weight in Cheerios, he let me!

So am feeling a bit better today.

Good to hear Anna 😁

Has anyone been to Morocco on hols thinking if taking the boys

Party a success!

Ds's favourite present is a bin lorry that sings 'to the dump, to the dump, to the dump dump dump' to the theme of the William tell overture... Good gawd....

Pors ds1 got that bloody toy for 5th birthday froma schools friend and ds2 loves it and they both sing take a ump instead obviously influenced by dh and ds1 loves poo related humour and ds2 knows no better

MrsA tell us more! How did you end up having 80 guests?! ATM I picture your future DIL opening the thread on MN about how she wanted a small, intimate wedding, but her MIL accidentally invited half a town

eastmids I have been on few long weekends to Casablanca and Marrakech, with short train trips to Nearby places. I really loved it, but I was still in my happy days of free, childless life. Stayed in small ryads, nothing pre-booked, etc. Do you plan to go on package holiday or book everything individually?

Actual turnout around 60 including kids. Lots of mum friends plus family and old friends and it soon adds up.
Huge church hall with the toddler group toys out and a cheap DIY buffet. The hardest thing was making the pass the parcel!!!!!!

Strawberry package holiday most def 😁

eastmids I would say you'll be fine, the outings into towns etc might be more of an effort due to people constantly trying to sell you things and get your attention and in the markets it can get busy and for two little ones lots interesting to see get reins for both of them

Today definitely is one of those days when before lunch time you already wish the day was over. Trying to work from home and look after ill DD at the same time. Must be some virus/cold. Started with very soar throat on Sunday night, now also fever. Been covered in vomit... Just once! Now DD is fast asleep. DH can't come home fast enough...

east we went to Marrakech when DD was 5m, it was great, but she was immobile and still ebf so a different kettle of fish to where we are now! My comments for taking older kids would be.... the food is quite different, spicy tagines, will they be happy with it. Having said that they have flatbreads and the grilled stuff so if they like bread and chunks of meat, it should be OK. The lovely Riads in the old town are wonderful but everything is hard stone - at least both yours are past the unsteady wobbly first walker stage but if they are the run around like crazy things type you could have lots of slipping over and banged heads. Some of the Riads won't accomodate children - I can understand why, all those hard stone walls make a real echo chamber so they can get noisy and it's a romantic place for couples to holiday too. Having said that we had no difficulty finding a lovely Riad that was happy to have us. Moroccans absolutely love babies and children and go out of their way to help you - which makes most of the potential problems redudant. We had two waiters hoiking our buggy up three flights of stairs to a rooftop bar/restaurant before we had a chance to say "it's fine, we'll try somewhere else". They also would ask to hold her and show her off to other diners, cue me desperately trying to plonk a hat on her head as she's paraded out in the midday african sun... We went in early May and it was already getting a bit hot for my liking for her, but she was still so young. I remember carrying her from our riad to our friends' wedding reception - which involved about 90 seconds in the full sun and she had a hat on - when we got to the reception she was already pink!!! Think it was from the heat rather than the UV but I was shocked!! We went out to do stuff early in the morning and then came back and chilled out at our riad for the hottest part of the day. We all slept a lot! We had been before though so didn't feel the need to do loads of touristy stuff which made it easier. As strawberry says the markets etc can be overwhelming - you probably have an idea of how your kids would be at dealing with the hustle and bustle.

There's so many pluses - the short flight time and short drive from the airport to the city... I would definitely consider it for a holiday with two young kids. But staying at one of the bigger resorts outside of the city might be easier. They don't really do car seats there so that's something to think about.