Love to know what mum's think of the Scottish Baby Box poem

[toomuchpink]

Love to know what mum's - especially those in Scotland - think of this poem. It is going into the Scottish Government's new baby box of freebies for parents of newborns.

Tempted to ask for alternative suggestions which truly capture the experience of having a baby. But perhaps for some people this is what it is like?

Jackie Kay
Welcome Wee One

O ma darlin wee one
At last you are here in the wurld
And wi’ aa your wisdom
Your een bricht as the stars,
You've filled this hoose with licht,
Yer trusty wee haun, your globe o' a heid,
My cherished yin, my hert's ain!

O my darlin wee one
The hale wurld welcomes ye:
The mune glowes; the hearth wairms.
Let your life hae luck, health, charm,
Ye are my bonny blessed bairn,
My small miraculous gift.
I never kent luve like this.

I think the whole thing is a waste of money and the poem is a bit twee. Definitely not suitable for many parents suffering from pnd or similar.

Yes, the PND thing struck me too.
I also thought baby boxes money should be targeted rather than given to everyone generally.
Anyone else have a view on poem/ baby boxes?

I barely understand a word of it! I'm guessing you have to be Scottish!

Load o' pish.

The poem is dreadful. It's really, embarrassingly bad.

If they had to have a poem, couldn't they get someone to write a decent one?

Aye, because anyone in dire need of a box from their baby to sleep in is going to be filled with thoughts of a warm hearth and a house full of light!
They do know that hardly anyone in Scotland actually speaks like that?

I am Scottish and due dc3 in the summer so I will probably get a box but that poem is shite. It's too Scottish for the sake of being Scottish.

I like the idea of the boxes in general but I doubt they'll get used for their intended purpose by most. I'd use it if I didn't already have a crib. I can see it being a hipster/trendy thing to use them but I live in Glasgow and I think most people here would be aghast at the idea of putting a baby in a box or gender neutral clothing.

I love the way the line "My small miraculous gift" has its correct spelling, yet we have "mune" for moon, and "glowes" for glows.
Should it not read " Ma wee muraiculus giftie "..

I think the boxes have to be given to everyone to normalise them so people don't feel stigmatised using the content.

It is a bit twee (think I understood most of it!) but sweet enough.

I am mindful of a thread on here when they were first announced that said baby boxes would be really popular with well off middle class Scandi-chic mummies who were not in need of any of the stuff, whereas mothers who might struggle to get the equipment and stuff they needed, would perhaps not be keen & still spend al their money on fancy stuff and flowery headbands. Despite being a little bit of a classist opinion I can definitely see this being a thing.

It's wurld and luve that get me. They'd be pronounced by Scots exactly the same way if they spelt them properly.

Also why 'yer trust wee haun' but 'your globe o' a heid'? Even if it's autocorrect in the OP, why would you want to refer to a baby as having a huge, round head?

Yesh, pish.

Im with Aye load of pish is that actually in the box ? What a complete waste of money these boxes are its being rolled out in the next county to me and I can already here ma weans no sleepin in a box 😂

Load of pish and so are the boxes! Waste of money 🙄

Mawkish drivel.

I wonder how many extra HCPs Scotland could have had instead of giving middles class voters yet more freebies?

Oh god hear* I saw the boxes on the news the other day with Nicola looking through them thinking they look like fancy file boxes

Finland have had baby boxes for years.
I disagree with the BBC but here is an article www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22751415

I think the point is "to give all babies the same start in life". They are starter boxes.

As for the poem. I hate it.

It's based on this. It's a lovely idea.

It's a lovely idea which will cost £6 million per year. The money would have been better spent on extra midwives or health visitors.

I live in Scotland and am due DC#2 in April (so won't qualify for the box I don't think), I think the poem is dreadful and cringey and the whole box idea is misguided. I currently have a DS who is 18mo and hasn't seen a health visitor since he was 4 months, (no 12 month checks where I live apparently) and I would prefer that the £6m was spent on more HVs and better midwifery care.

Its been rolled out in Clackmannanshire and Aberdeenshire this year the smallest and biggest (i think) counties

The boxes & contents don't offend me, but I wish they were only going to those who need them. I wouldn't have accepted one had they been available when I had my DC, or would have donated it to charity, refuges etc.

Poems ducking awful.

Box without the scandi health checks is a waste of money

Another half arsed SG policy

Poem is awful.

Box idea is lovely. UNLESS it's in a country where there is a severe shortage of midwives and health visitors.

Oh wait....

I live in Scotland. I think the poem is beautiful - what a lovely welcome. I also wish every new baby born in the world could receive a baby box.