I did 5 days with Mitchell. They won't force you to do stuff you don't want, but very good for support. It didn't change his sleeping too much, but gave me a HUGE sense of confidence. I use a mix of their technique and my heart. Things did get better - then his teeth came through, he got sick etc, etc. Nearly over now so we are going to put the routine back in place.
There is nothing worse than not knowing WHY he wouldn't sleep well (he was pretty shocking).
I'm sure you'll get alot out of sleep school - especially sleep!
OKay all those sleeping babies have stolen Asha's sleeping abilities LOL ... she is not sleeping very well at the moment. She ahs come to bed with us at about midnight for the past week. Still no teeth but they are right there so I am hoping once they are through I will have my sleeping bubba back!!!
Well I am now on holidays for 2 weeks (YAY) but then I am working full time for the first 2 weeks of next term!!! Looking forward to the extra money but I don't know about the extra stress at home.
Thanks for the support Christy and Lulu2. Will try anything at this point. Poor Kayne has gotten worse. His rash has spread to from his chest to his back and head. He has been really really grumpy and slept worse than he normally does.
I think DH may have picked up that I was not happy with him this morning - cos he does not get up with Kayne during the night (mind you we both work full time - I am just based from home) So he has taken him to the docs for me this morning. I hope that Kayne does not have anything contagious cos I have not had any of the childhood illness's nor have my other kids and the eldest is off to New Caledonia with school in a week.
Oh well better get some work done while the house is quiet!
How are you finding working at home? These school holidays are driving me nuts. There is always someone asking me something and I can't concentrate. Mitchell managed to crawl under my legs and turn off PC the other day, Tyson the crusty old dog is fretting for buffy, DD keep hassling me to drive her somewhere, and the playgroups have hit the fan. AND I'm going back to my other job on Monday (only 2 days though).
Sheesh!
Who ever said working from home was easy - has obviously never done it at with kids. My girls are not on school holidays yet, they start next week (the ex pays for them to go to a private school 'my kids are not going to a public school') He can afford it- so thats ok. But when they are home - it is a nightmare. My 14 yo wants me to driver her everywhere - does not understand that I AM WORKING! ](*,) The 12 yo is great - she plays with Kayne all the time but loves to chat - all the time! Working with Kayne is getting harder. I feel guilty if I am trying to concentrate and do the work and then if I give him the attention he wants - I feel guilty that I am not working. So its a no win situation. Then theres the other stuff that needs to be done - I feel like I get no help - so in theory I work from 6.30am til I go to bed at 11pm - then I might get a couple of hours sleep before he wakes up :sleeping: . This makes me wonder if I really want another one. I figure it would make my life so much harder - but well worth it!
They just got back from the doc - nothing contagious - just a viral illness!
Hey Christy, just letting you know I couldn't make it to Playgroup this morning as Mara had some job training to go to...
I won't be able to make it next week either as thats when we will be going to Maleny for our little break...
Will write more later, but atm have to go and 'unglue' Aidyn from his Spot DVD...
LOL I was hoping you guys weren't sick. It was fun today, but I wasn't well I woke up around 1.30am with a major sinus headache which kept me up until Matilda woke up at 4am and then I got two hours sleep... it was pretty full on and has settled since around 8am, but being at playgroup I just got Matilda down for her nap, so I should be resting, but instead I'm here ](*,) maybe not for long though...
Do you girls have a set routine at Playgroup or do you do anything whenever ?? At our playgroup it is getting extremely busy as another close by has closed its doors. I was asked yesterday if I wanted to become Playgroup Coordinator. ATM our playgroup is the kids just full on play have fruit at 10am full on play again and then go home at 11am, but I think they are wanting a bit more order to it like sing a long or activites etc. So was just wondering what your playgroup gets up too.
Hey Kathryn, it's good to see a busy playgroup.
I got sucked in as president at our local centre, but I am enjoying it and have learnt alot.
One important thing is not to overstructure or overschedule the playgroup. It's good to let them run off with their imaginations or get engrossed with a toy they don't have at home.
I am going to try an run a theme month or term - music, water play, painting etc. You can get books and stuff (probably from the council) on games and nursery rhymes- they are good for jogging your memory. But if the kids don't want to participate they don't have to.
It might be a good idea to ask exactly what the role involves too, and what kind of council support they give you.
We have to chase up fees, sort out whinges beween groups (yuk) and have meeting once a month or so. We make them on Mon nights so we can all be home before desperate housewives!
I do enjoy it though and have met some terrific people in the process.
And Mitchell is having another 2 hr sleep by the looks of it!!!!!!!
Yeah I was told it would involve going to meetings once a month but she stressed I didn't have to attend ALL the meetings. Ours will be on a Friday arvo and the kids are welcome to go along as well. I will be finding out exactly what I have to do on Monday if the kindy has time to fill me in. That is when I have to let her know yes or no.
Who tidies up with your playgroup ?? Do all the mums pitch in and help. I have found since we have got busy that the same people are pitching into help to do stuff like tidy up, cut fruit etc and the rest of them (majority)all sit around. Do you think a roster type of thing would work for the parents in that scenario. Ie 2 to pack sand toys away, 2 to cut fruit, 2 to do dishes, 2 to pack inside toys away, 2 to pack crafts away etc
Our playgroups are pretty small, and they tend to organise their own cleanup.
Definately do a roster, include everyone, and if someone misses a go, they swap with someone else. Just put the roster up, no questions.
Welcome to the world of kindy/playgroups. Its a bit sad, but there will always be a core 'action' group and a much larger group of people that don't participate (but usually the first to complain).
Pick away, playgroups are so very important to the community and I'm glad to help.
Ours is run by a few mums at the church, so they organise a roster for clean up/morning tea etc...
Its also a music based one, so we have free interaction with instrument play for the first 10-15 minutes and then we do songs/action songs etc and play wiht certain instruments for 30-40 minutes then mums have morning tea & the kids play & snack All in all it lasts around 1 hour 30 minutes and there's some structure, but its pretty relaxed too.
Lost the #$%& thread again when it rolled over for April. I must pay more attention. Will catch up later when Angus stops screaming. He's being horrible, pulling food out of his mouth, won't settle, being generally horrible. He's usually so easy to feed & put down for naps. Still screaming, arrrggh!
I can't add anything to the playgroup discussion as I haven't made it to mine yet! I am going to go to one at a local church I think it will be organised!
Yvette I just notice you are expecting TWIN girls..how amazing..you must be EXHAUSTED with a 10 mth old and being pregnant with TWINS! Angus sounds like he's having a tough time too! Hope he settles for you!
I work from home too but I look after a girl with a disability and to be honest lately I am finding it much harder, Felix is taking so much energy and with expressing etc I am finding it hard too..I am just lucky to have a job that is so flexiable..so I don't want to give it up, I just have to hope it will get easier!
Felix stood on his own yesterday, we went to my mothers group today and he is definately the most confident walker as he only needs 1 hand to hold onto now..and he has decided to all fours crawl when he's around all his buddies..still loves to tummy crawl even though he's nearly walking..I think because he's too busy pulling up to walk and spiderman around the walls!! We have put up baby barriers everywhere because he is navigating the house! He hates them!
Marisa - best of luck with Sleep School, hopefully they will be able to give you some great support, and some more ideas to try out as well.
I hope Kayne is feeling better soon too.
Yeah with the playgroup Christy and I go to, I love the fact that there is some structure there with having the music/songs etc... cause at times Aidyn is really interested in the music and intrument playing, and I think its a great learning experience for him.
But at other times he just wants to crawl off and explore, and thats ok too!
Wow at Felix walking around only holding on with 1 hand!! Anytime now Katanya... I bet he'll be walking on his own within the next fortnight it sounds like!
Meanwhile Aidyn is quite a while away from walking... he is letting go when standing up, but does not have the coordination to take steps properly - even when holding onto us. But I really don't mind, LOL, the crawling is full-on enough as it is, I dont really want to ask for more at this point in time!
We've just had a rotten hour trying to get to sleep 8-[ I think I spoke too soon.... she's back to her old tricks. I noticed her getting tired and I thought its a bit early, but she was full on this morning running around the house like MAD...pushing everything up and down the halls and chattering away to me trying to repeat everything I say...so I thought she maybe tired and I started to settle her, she went to sleep in the cot 5 minutes later screaming, so I went in a resettled her, most of the time her eyes are closed & she's arching her back and screaming... so she's in the cot now, not sleeping, not screaming but chatting away with her wrap... :-k
Angus having a lovely morning nap, so I’m catching up with what you guys have been up to. O
Marisa, I’d give anything for a cleaner! I’ve had them before and it’s wonderful, but I always feel weird like I don’t know what to do with myself while they’re there. I had a husband & wife team so they got through quicker, & good to support a small business family. Glad to hear Kayne only had a virus, rashes are scary these days. I understand the guilt thing with working vs spending time with bub. I’ve had to work in the past when the girls were little, & now there’s always housework I should be doing. Be kind to yourself & get a cleaner, & try not to beat yourself up. Sounds like you’re doing great. Hope the sleep school helps. I was up several times a night with Angus til he was 8 months or so then we took action. Happy to tell you about it if you like.
Matilda & Lachlan & Felix cruising/walking. Wow, it’s all happening. Happy to hear Felix going well, will have to look at your other posts Katanya & see what’s been happening. Christy, hope things keep improving with Matilda for you before you run yourself ragged. Angus has stood from the floor a couple of times, only for a few seconds, and let go the hand he was holding on with briefly too a few times. He was still commando crawling til just recently though. We get a little bear walk sometimes too. He hates the barriers around the house too. One of them is just 2 overturned dining chairs where there are glass double doors. He’ll soon be able to get past those, & we’re scared of the glass – dangerous old house.
Lulu, happy for Buffy. The heeler part of her will enjoy all the stimulation. I love staffies, they’re so laid back. How does your cat (Ishka?) go with the parrots?
Glad the party went well Kathryn. Had to laugh at the MIL thing. See you in a month & 3 weeks, lol.
Lovely that there’s some babies sleeping much better, Matilda, Mitchell, Aidyn. Mine isn’t one of them though! Well ok, he still goes through the night beautifully, but the naps have been messed up the last few days. I’m convinced it’s teething, but DH (retired children’s nurse expert on everything) doesn’t. It’s the top incisors due next, which should be easy, but he’s been so cranky & unsettled the last couple of days, not wanting his bottles sometimes, & pulling wet food out of his mouth, dribbling a bit etc. He’s not sick, so I can’t think what else it could be. I’ve heard people say it’s a myth about teething causing temp/rash/crankiness etc, but I’m not convinced. Something is different for my boy at the moment.
All this playgroup talk making me feel guilty. I did it with Lola & she loved it. Ruth was in childcare when she was little, and I’ve done nothing with Angus. I don’t have work as an excuse any more. At least he’s got his big sisters to play with, but I think it would really do him good to get out more. Must give ourselves a kick up the bum and get off the puters a bit more.
Sorry to be so long again. Still pretty new is my excuse, I’ll get better at this. I do feel I’m starting to remember who everybody is though which is so nice.
*Yvette*
Good to have you back - thought you may have gone on holidays or something. Thanks for the supportive words. I am definately going to get a cleaner. I am a little p**sed off today :fuming: . DH has every second Friday off work and the agreement was that when I had Kayne he would look after him on this day while I work. WELL ... do you think that has happened yet!!! He was also supposed to get up to him last night !!!!! Yeah right!. I have been that busy with work and trying to look after a sick and grumpy boy! Last night I was still working at 9 to catch up.
I look around at the house and it looks blah............... :smt022
Anyway enough of that.
Good to hear about everyones bubs trying to walk. Kayne took about 6 step yesterday but still prefers to crawl. Took him to MCHN yesterday as I was worried about him not feeding well , but he put on a huge amount of 1300grams in just under 2 months.
Kayne has been having a wonderful nap this morning - still sleeping now!
Hope you all have a great weekend and have heaps of fun
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