New baby and post birth advice #37 The only way to eat porridge is to tip it in the bin

[wakametango 2.0]

Re the ice cream cart - I LOVE YOU!! 3yo loves playing with his friends, but we couldn’t justify the spend



The pop up animals is the one toy 3yo and baby argue over

Tbf she doesn’t really like it she’s far happier playing with tampons (really) and the dogs ball thrower stick

 

[LongishCat]

Oh wow, thought you all were unusually quiet, turns out there's a new thread!
How are you all doing?
I have a new job! I'll be starting in January, so I still have some time to keep processing everything that happened the past couple of months, which is nice!

Kitten has like four new teeth, no wonder her sleep was so tit at the beginning of this week 🫠

 

[LilyRose1234]

Tbf she doesn’t really like it she’s far happier playing with tampons (really) and the dogs ball thrower stick

A box of tampons will keep her occupied for hours but I have been tempted by the ice cream cart so might give it a go!

 

[Jellybean093]

Tbf she doesn’t really like it she’s far happier playing with tampons (really) and the dogs ball thrower stick

I honestly wish I could get away with getting the baby something like this, but the other kids would question it

 

[Definitelyme]

@LongishCat wonderful news, friend, congratulations!! And even better to still have some time off now and have the space you need after an awful year in so many ways x

Top toys for all ages in the me household;

melissa and Doug cleaning set which we have had for about 6 years and is still used daily by all

Amazon product

Magnetic tiles (we have play mags and cheap Amazon ones) which everyone loves

Amazon product

I’ve mentioned it a billion times but we have something like this which is adored by all, we have had it 9 years and it’s used daily

Amazon product

Then Playdoh is a winner for all, and my kids all loves drawing (ToddlerMe loves unloading and reloading the pens and paint sticks). And books x twenty million.

Oh and the Melissa and Doug ice cream set. I know others recommended the fisher price (I think!) one but we don’t do noisy battery toys in our house because I’m no fun

Amazon product

 

[Megatron1298]

If anyone is looking for a present suggestion for older babies or one that will be good to bring out later in the year, can I recommend this? Baby Runner essentially just loves playing with all the buttons and pieces. But my 3.5yo will still play with this too and as soon as her friends come for a play date they make a beeline to make ice cream. It’s probs the best value for money I’ve got out of a toy as it’s played with all the time. Currently on a Black Friday sale.

Then the other photo is probably baby runners favourite toy. Obviously she can’t do the latches but I leave them all unlocked and she likes just opening and shutting doors and pulling the animals in and out.

Joy of being a second child - everything she plays with actually belongs to the eldest

I am tempted to just wrap up stuff we already have for the babies Christmas

 

[Borntorun]

I am tempted to just wrap up stuff we already have for the babies Christmas

I would 100% do this if it weren’t for the fact the eldest would question it

 

[LongishCat]

Kitten really loves the Smartmax (magnetic) toys. They have different sets for all ages!

 

[Definitelyme]

Kitten really loves the Smartmax (magnetic) toys. They have different sets for all ages!

I was looking to get some of these for my nephews, glad to see they are well loved in your house!

 

[I’mThankyou_]

We got the twins this for their 1st birthday.
It's waist height for littles, they absolutely love it (fight over it too obvs) but there's activities on each side. Goes on offer an awful lot too, highly recommend if you're stuck for a gift. The almost 10yo will sit and play with it too

 

[WhatABore]

Anything you buy, once they grow out of it, don't get rid of it.
At Christmas, my 4yo is more interested in Everleigh's new toys than her own.

Save them, re-wrap them for their 4th or 5th birthday and you're sorted

This is a joke, but they would probably love it if they're anything like my 4yo

 

[LittleBluebird]

We’ve been battling nighttime sleep and finally tried something new last night. Loved next to me to OHs side of the bed and she slept like a champ. Only was wide awake after 2:30 am feeding so OH took her to her room and put her in her bed there and she settled herself back down.
Every single time I’d put her in her next to me, she’s sleep soundly for 20 minutes and start flailing around. Not a movement last night.
However, she’s now rolling from back to side so that’s an added dimension of terror for us because she’s not quite rolling front to back frequently enough yet. She’s 4.5 months.
I got good sleep and she seems to be happier next to OH and not smelling me.
Last week was ROUGH, but at least last night was good. I feed her now and hand her off to OH and he puts her to bed while I go back to sleep.
All that said, I (kind of) miss her sleeping on me because I’m gone all day at work and then come home, eat then bedtime then repeat. Giving her all of the cuddles this weekend.

 

[Jellybean093]

we don’t do noisy battery toys in our house because I’m no fun

Call SS! The Me kids can come and live with us, where the 3yo second word was batteries (this might be an exaggeration )

 

[WhatABore]

We’ve been battling nighttime sleep and finally tried something new last night. Loved next to me to OHs side of the bed and she slept like a champ. Only was wide awake after 2:30 am feeding so OH took her to her room and put her in her bed there and she settled herself back down.
Every single time I’d put her in her next to me, she’s sleep soundly for 20 minutes and start flailing around. Not a movement last night.
However, she’s now rolling from back to side so that’s an added dimension of terror for us because she’s not quite rolling front to back frequently enough yet. She’s 4.5 months.
I got good sleep and she seems to be happier next to OH and not smelling me.
Last week was ROUGH, but at least last night was good. I feed her now and hand her off to OH and he puts her to bed while I go back to sleep.
All that said, I (kind of) miss her sleeping on me because I’m gone all day at work and then come home, eat then bedtime then repeat. Giving her all of the cuddles this weekend.

She doesn't need to be able to roll front to back for it to be okay for her to sleep that way by the way
Just to minimise a bit of your terror
I mean, they don't always like it and will usually cry about it. But if they do roll over and want to sleep that way, it's perfectly safe
They're at an age, once they roll, that if they happen to struggle to breathe (unlikely) that they've gained the reflex to move their head to the side/lift it up ect.
So it's perfectly safe, it's just whether she likes it or not
I hate the stage where they roll but can't roll back at night though. The constant crying when stuck

 

[miaaaa]

We got the twins this for their 1st birthday.
It's waist height for littles, they absolutely love it (fight over it too obvs) but there's activities on each side. Goes on offer an awful lot too, highly recommend if you're stuck for a gift. The almost 10yo will sit and play with it too

We have this!! Like yours my 8yo and 3yo play with it too

 

[Definitelyme]

Feeling pretty rubbish about ToddlerMe at the minute. He won’t eat at all. He will go for days and not eat any solid food. If we offered him crisps/cake/chocolate/biscuits he would eat them, but he won’t eat any normal foods that you have for breakfast, lunch or dinner. He won’t eat any fruit. He does like sweetcorn and peas but that’s pretty much it.
He has been difficult since day 1 of weaning, and I naively assumed it would get better if we took a no pressure approach. But he just isn’t improving.
I’ve actually just been delighted because he ate a little yoghurt and 1/4 of a pancake. That’s the most I’ve seen him eat in a week.
And he is grumpy almost all the time, probably because he has low blood sugar, but he won’t bloody eat!

 

[Jellybean093]

Feeling pretty rubbish about ToddlerMe at the minute. He won’t eat at all. He will go for days and not eat any solid food. If we offered him crisps/cake/chocolate/biscuits he would eat them, but he won’t eat any normal foods that you have for breakfast, lunch or dinner. He won’t eat any fruit. He does like sweetcorn and peas but that’s pretty much it.
He has been difficult since day 1 of weaning, and I naively assumed it would get better if we took a no pressure approach. But he just isn’t improving.
I’ve actually just been delighted because he ate a little yoghurt and 1/4 of a pancake. That’s the most I’ve seen him eat in a week.
And he is grumpy almost all the time, probably because he has low blood sugar, but he won’t bloody eat!

I feel like this was the 3yo at this age, but he would and still will, live off weetabix. He’s very fussy with food, and I’ve said before, whenever I ask what shall we have for dinner, it’s ‘I don’t like dinner’. The ONLY way I can get him to eat, is while watching the iPad. None of my other kids have been like this. I feel your frustrations

 

[Definitelyme]

I feel like this was the 3yo at this age, but he would and still will, live off weetabix. He’s very fussy with food, and I’ve said before, whenever I ask what shall we have for dinner, it’s ‘I don’t like dinner’. The ONLY way I can get him to eat, is while watching the iPad. None of my other kids have been like this. I feel your frustrations

So frustrated! Like you said none of our others have been anything at all like this. Of course they are the usual kid fussy, certainly not perfect eaters, but they eat things! And actually would have eaten wonderfully at this age (19 months)
Also I get so worried for his wee body. He gets sick and it really lingers and I can only imagine it’s because his immune system is crap because he won’t eat.

 

[Jellybean093]

So frustrated! Like you said none of our others have been anything at all like this. Of course they are the usual kid fussy, certainly not perfect eaters, but they eat things! And actually would have eaten wonderfully at this age (19 months)
Also I get so worried for his wee body. He gets sick and it really lingers and I can only imagine it’s because his immune system is crap because he won’t eat.

I know you’ve probably tried everything, but would you watching tv while he eats help? I think our biggest mistake with 3yo was as soon as we started weaning, he was sat in a booster seat at the table, and then quite quickly plonked into a normal seat, so he would get down and wander. I haven’t made that mistake this time
Could you maybe give foods with chocolate in? Like waffles with chocolate? And brioche with choc chips? Or is that all a no go?

 

[Definitelyme]

I know you’ve probably tried everything, but would you watching tv while he eats help? I think our biggest mistake with 3yo was as soon as we started weaning, he was sat in a booster seat at the table, and then quite quickly plonked into a normal seat, so he would get down and wander. I haven’t made that mistake this time
Could you maybe give foods with chocolate in? Like waffles with chocolate? And brioche with choc chips? Or is that all a no go?

We don’t have a TV I honestly don’t think it would help either, as he just doesn’t seem to enjoy food. Even sometimes you give him things he usually eats and he actually backs away from it (so dramatic )
He doesn’t like bread type things like brioche, toast etc. I was so surprised today when he ate the tiny bit of pancake because he usually flat out rejects bread stuffs. He’s a pain in the bum! Who doesn’t like toast?!?