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Wednesday 12 February 2014

Bed-wetting at five plus

I’m not sure about this but decided to share my thoughts.

We have to wake up once a night (twice, if we’re not too tired) to take our 5/6 year olds to wee, otherwise they may wet their beds.  I’ve been wondering if this is normal for children this age.  I even spoke to the nurse last year, and was told that it is indeed normal BUT most people don’t talk about it so I wouldn’t know from friends and family.  NHS Choices says bed wetting is not a problem until, among other considerations, the child is over five years old and regularly wets the bed.  Well, mine are and yes it is becoming a problem.

So I ask, my good people, is this normal?  What age did your child/ren stop bed-wetting and if they still are, how old are they?

I’d like to get some feedback from real people so I know whether to panic any more, or not.  I’d also be grateful for any resources or tips you may have to share.

Saturday 8 February 2014

Our elusive family holiday!

Trying to find a family holiday is proving more difficult that I’d imagined, now that our children are in school.  We’d previously been able to holiday anytime, depending on our work schedules, but not anymore.

Half term is approaching and I've not managed to convince my other half that we should go on a family holiday, and certainly not abroad - not even to Disney Paris! "We can't take four young children on the train for that length of time!"  His point is that we'll be so stressed out that it won’t be a holiday.  Maybe, maybe not, SO does this mean we will not go on holiday until all our children are older?  When will that be???

"We should go to Butlins" at least there will be plenty for them to do, we'll drive so we don't have to worry about managing them on the train
(or, heaven forbid – on a plane) etc.  Fair points BUT have you seen the prices??? I looked for May Bank Holiday breaks, within the UK, and prices were well over £1,000 for six of us – and that was with a discount code!  The prices are ridiculous, especially during school holidays.  Additionally, why, oh why, do prices have to be based on four sharing?  Are majority of families made up of two adults and two children?  I know a lot of couples with three children.  We have four children, all under six years old (twins twice), so we have to pay supplements for the extra two children.  On the other hand, a family of three has to pay for four people, regardless (is this how it works?)


My suggestions: for people just starting out, “holiday packages” should be another thing to consider when planning the size of your family.  For families with pre-schoolers… be sure to get in as many holidays as possible BEFORE little ones start school.

I'll settle for a family holiday anywhere, so the search continues, and then…“wonderful wife” mode…ACTIVATED (well…just for the next few months…until the “fine, we’ll go” from other half).

In the meantime, I have to think of some ideas for the half-term.  We already registered for a family activity (arts & crafts) half-day and I think that’s probably enough for the week.  We need to have some FUN!

Sunday 2 February 2014

Hanging out with the “stranger”

I started this post before I suddenly fell ill (previous post “Against the odds…he/she baby almost made it through!”).  Yes, I’ve had a tough few days, being in hospital etc. but one thing has been on my mind…”parenting”!

My children made friends with a girl that lives in the neighbourhood and, incidentally, attends the same school as them (previous post, “
what a difference the great outdoors makes”).  She’s less than ten years old.  That day, we all played outside for a while but once it started getting too cold, I needed to take my children in.  I invited her inside but I first suggested she go home and tell her family where she was.  She didn’t - explaining that she was allowed to be out for a certain length of time and as long as she was in the neighbourhood, it was fine.

Once inside, I insisted she called home to tell her family exactly where she was.  I spoke to them and gave our address and phone number for security and in case they needed to contact her while she was here.

She’s a delightful girl and she thoroughly enjoyed her time with us, playing with my children.  She even stayed for lunch and then they played some more.  I asked what time she had to be home…”are you sure your parents won’t be worried?” etc etc etc.  Eventually, about six hours later (yes, 6 hours later), it was getting dark and I didn’t want her walking the streets alone so I took her home myself and “handed” her over to her family, just to be sure she’d got home safely.  I told them she’d had lunch etc. and she was absolutely fine with us and no trouble at all (true).  They didn’t seem fazed at all.

I was a bit surprised that they didn’t know exactly where she was and they didn’t seem bothered that she’d not returned home for lunch (did they care?).  All they knew was that she was in the neighbourhood…BUT she was in a stranger’s house!  They don’t know us, so we could be anyone.  Absolutely anyone.  I seemed to be the one trying to engage her family; calling her home when she was with us just so they knew where she was.

She’s been visiting every week but I just let her stay for about two hours – three hours max (and certainly before it gets dark because I don’t want her want her walking home in the dark).

I find it disturbing that she is allowed to be out for so many hours – on her own- without any concern about exactly WHERE she is.  Am I alone in thinking this way or does the general public feel this is normal and that I’m overacting?