June 2008-keeping little hands off mummy's creme eggs

[poppy34]

New thread here

at too much democracy being over-rated! If the Tory party didn't exist I would agree with you but if PR is the only to prevent 1979-1997 ever happening again then PR gets my vote every time .

My comment on spoon feeding was being flippant

neenz I need to wait until Fraser is in school to go back to my old job. I would not put my kids in a private nursery again after what I saw Duncan go through. I know this is a emotive subject and that a lot of people on here use nurseries and have no problems. We did though and we have seen a lot of our friend's children suffer, and I'm just not willing to take the chance that we could find a good place (which I'm sure exist). (We have no access to childminders here in our village unfortunately and I'd need one who would take the boys to the local school nursery so because I live rurally, I need a nanny. Hence the new job.)

The conservatives have no plans to cut the funding for paid nursery places. This is just a scare story. But the Tories will not put in any plans to help me return to work - I know that. What I like about them in this area is that I know where they stand - rather than Brown's misleading statements about supporting women at work. The Lib Dems want to increase paid nursery provision, but I think it's just nurseries and again, because of our experience that's not something I would consider.

You ask what help there is if you're on less than 30K - if you were a single mum or a low income family you'd be eligible for the childcare element of working tax credit and you would get between 70-80% of your childcare paid for. That's wonderful for those who qualify and that's who will use the nursery system. It is not designed for families like ours.

And if Labour did believe in any woman working, surely they would have extended the childcare voucher scheme to the self-employed, removed the low limits for larger families, and made it fully accessible? But they haven't and the message is that if you'd be on benefits, then you get money to help you work (I agree with that bit), but if you have a husband - stay home. Whether that's a purely financial plan (which is good on a annual basis but ridiculous because of future tax revenue losses) or a social statement is unclear.

Sorry to rant on about this - it's something that's had a huge impact on my life in a very negative way though. I really regret doing my PhD now because of all the disappointment I've had and I've been on the verge of depression about it several times this year.

Eddie it's not a particularly safe seat. The outgoing MP is Labour but it's a new seat that will probably be more conservative than the old one. The tories need a 6% swing to win it. It's target seat 118 for the tories, 268 for the LibDems. I understood that to mean that it was definitely within the conservatives' grasp? Or am I being dim?

Spider please please don't follow our lead on cars .

Neenz I saw that you posted loads of questions you bad girl

DD1 had a big milestone today - her first attempt at shoplifting . She was a really crap thief. She tried to put a curly wurly in her coat pocket, so obviously it stuck right out of the pocket. I fixed her with my Stare of Doom and she hurriedly put it back, in the wrong spot, whilst falling over a box. The shop assistant (we are regulars there) was great and we showed DD1 the CCTV camera and screen and told her that they had footage of her crime to show to the police. At home I told her all about police and prisons. She's very upset and jumps when the doorbell rings in case it is the police coming to take her to prison.

Oh sorry, I wasn't trying to get into spoon/blw debate at all. Was meant quite supportively in that I think there's no hard and fast best way - different things for different kids etc etc. It's Neenz who'll get into a feeding debate with any passingstranger BLW fans .

If we had PR in 79 would it have made much difference do you think? what with Thatcher's pals the SNP and others who might have propped them up

Disclaimer: I'm in a sleep deprived, study related brain addled, hysterically giddy mood which brings out my inner sarcastic cheeky self.

at the shoplifting Rolf. Sounds like she got the message. I shoplifted a packet of rolos when I was younger and felt so guilty I couldn't eat them. If I'd known then about Nestle I'd have scoffed them

Goddess you are wonderful doing exams. My brain is fried.

Eddie you have 2 very small children and are moving house and are knackered. If you do another sad face about bfeeding or make any reference to being crap I will climb into the computer and smack you. You are splendid.

Abdn that's so sad that you regret doing your PhD. It's such an achievement and I bet if you hadn't done it, it would have preyed on your mind? Longer term, when your children are bigger and these work and childcare issues aren't so high on your list of worries, I really hope that you can be pleased and proud that you did it.

Everyone else - as you were...

Sorry, abdn I missed your post with all my flippant nonsense. I'm about your experiences and the lack of suitable childcare for you and your family. I'm very fortunate, like most of city based parents to have a wide variety of choices. I absolutely agree with you on childcare vouchers. I was being quite serious about banging on about it to some labour folk (if we get in again, a friend is in the Cabinet). I wouldn't pretend to have influence, but I will bang on about it till I'm blue in the face.

at your dd1 Rolf, and what a great shopkeeper

AH. Really sorry to hear that. Wish I could say something constructive but it's such a complex subject I'm not sure I really have anything to offer. I can understand the disappointment about your career though, although mine has been affected for different reasons.

Rolf, that does sound odd then. Not sure why you haven't had more electioneering? May be count yourself as lucky!

And at your little tea leaf! Although I did feel a little sorry for her when I read about her jumping at the doorbell ringing .

@ Rolf - x-posted! You made me cry . . in a good way! Thank you . I don't get told that very often .

DG, ohmigod - you have to name names!

Aarrghh, no that was a bit unguarded for me Eddie.

We don't have a nightlight per se, but we do have the grobag light: not the egg, but the third one down. It's good - we only ever use it when going in at night. (Pretty frequently last week then!)
And sorry about the link - it was the first I found. I didn't intend any joke with 'baby sleep shop'!

Rolf DH and I both LOLing at your DD1's shoplifting. I was a more successful shoplifter at a younger age : going through a department store in my buggy I nabbed a reel of cotton. My Mum only found it when we got home, but she was most disappointed with the colour I chose: khaki. Apparently she still has the reel as she has never had anything to use it for.

Rolf I have long thought that we should ban Eddie from using faces for a week. Maybe we could set up a sad face swear box? The punishment could be that everytime she uses a sad face she has to donate £1 to the Conservative Party? BTW Eddie don't assume that it would be any easier if M was BF. I point you in Sybil's direction on the joys of nightime BFs.

Eddie DH and I have agreed that although I like my Astra hatchback, we wont swap it for an Astra Estate as the little kids in us wants something new

Have just remembered that according to my mum I was quite a prolific toddler shoplifter. She used to regularly give the local shopkeeper a few extra pennies (things were much cheaper when I was a lass) to cover my booty each week.

On re-reading, I am hoping my sad face comment wasn't too flippant Eddie. Sorry.

Our seat (Guildford) is one of the top Con/LD marginals. The margin last time was c.250, and we have been on the BBC news tonight because of the tactical voting story today. I too have been surprised by the lack of campaigning here. No leaflets through the door for the first fortnight, and no-one door stepping us at all. I thought it might be an anomaly on our street, but my friend on the other side of town said today that it has been the same for her too.

Lol DG, I was only kidding!

Bless your mum keeping your shoplifting article spider - an interesting keepsake!

Lol at banning me from using - the natural rebel in me wants to do this:

or would that just be childish?!

As for cars, dh used to have a Mazda estate - loved it, loved it, loved it! He says if he ever gets a company car again that would be what he would get.

Essie, thanks for that link - what do you think of this? Do you think A is too young?

I've missed the tactical voting story today (trapped in kitchen with textbooks). A friend has mentioned it on fb. Has DC said people shouldn't tactically vote (which is what she's said). She has a leaflet from the Tories saying vote tactically for the LibDems to keep labour out.

@ DG!

"Sok Eddie I know you were!

There was a thread just this week about bunny clocks and the such like if you have a search. Maybe in parenting or behaviour/development or sleep? Consensus was that they were a bit young at our lots age.

Am thinking that Poppy and Amber are noticeable in their absence at the mo.

My understanding was that the big story was that two Labour ministers (Balls and Hain) have come out and said people should tactically vote to keep out the Tories?

I was trying to watch the news but it was quite hard with A stood at my knee shouting "Beebies, Beebies, Beebies" at me and waving the remote control in my face!

Ah, I see. I wonder if maybe DC has said people shouldn't tactically vote to counter that.

LOL at A shouting beebies and waving the control. We've got a toddler just like that here.

I was very excited to find Jakers DVD's on sale at Amazon. Am definitely going to order one. I think it passed most people by on this thread, but a fab cbeebies programme AND it's about 20 minutes long!

A wasn't taken with Jakers - I watched it cos I noticed your comment and am always looking for new entertainment, but he wandered off halfway through and only returned to switch the telly off!

Our A's favourites are Chuggington and Bob, and A adores ITNG. I hate hate hate hate Number Jacks - bloody awful crap! Oh and ZingZillas is growing on me!

Is it just me or is children's tv an awfully lot more loud, frenetic and generally OTT than it used to be? [sad old lady emoticon]

Oh what a shame Eddie. S is getting very discerning in his viewing. It used to be he'd watch anything but now if something he doesn't like is on, he's like 'no, no, no' until you run through a list of programme names until he decides what he wants to watch. Thank the heavens for Sky +

No Eddie, it wouldn't be childish, just expensive.

A Mazda 6 estate is a possibility. Get great write ups, but the girly girl in me didn't like the trim in the one we saw at the weekend. Pathetic I know.

Re bunny clocks, P too young right now. Our neighbours daughter who is 3 is too old though. Her Dad was complaining that she can now change the time on the clock until the bunny wakes up, and then she brings it into her parents room I assume there must be a window when they work brilliantly.

Tis late, Night all.