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Friends with thick skins - Chris Peacock and Drew Peacock. And of course my old school chum, Anita Dick. Edited to thank candj for pointing out hilarious Freudian spelling error!::o

Have you considered doing it Keef? I think you would be great.

Ligaturiosity, I wrote many of the mis-quoted bits you have rattled off in the previous post so really don't blame gigirl for every remark you don't like. She's not the only one calling you bonkers. I said it was a whole new low, and I meant that about YOU because I frankly don't believe you have a legion of admirers PM ing you in support all day long. Hell if you look closely, at least two of your four whole supporters are the same person! But then I read your last past, and the one before that, and my god just when I think you have crossed into another dimension of ridiculous it gets more insane. I'm now certain you are 14. You need to stop. For the love of god.

giggirl Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Oh do we have to? I've had a whole in-box of PMs > telling me I'm right about absolutely everything. > They're all too afraid to come out and say that in > the open though. In case of the backlash. :)-D

Yep just glad I could help. Edited to add: I'm just calling it as I see it. You are the one suggesting there is a whole other conversation going on behind the scenes, made complete by nasty messages about people who disagree with you. THAT is high school drama, lady.

Okay HeidiH /Jam I think you are flogging a dead horse. We get that you are against smoking. I think that since you are such an expert on cracking addictions there is an entire industry out there that could use your help........ millions have tried but YOU have the answer! Super! edited for usual crap editing......

Ligaturiosity this is you sinking to a new low: > Well Keef I am glad that the rest of it is BS, but > I got two PMs from people alleging that is what > you did/do. I am glad that you have managed to set > the record straight. I continue to follow this ridiculous thread because it's like a car crash......... you don't want to look but you can't stop yourself. Every time I feel that you have really proven yourself to be a dim, ignorant sociopath you get back on here and keep going. I suppose one has to admire your blind narcissism. As for these people who PM you to gossip about Keef's habit of blowing smoke at people's babies, well shame on you. This is beginning to resemble a bad high school movie. Say it and mean FFS instead of this teenage gossip BS. Classic bullying.

I agree about Folkestone. It's as wonderful as Molly explains, and a really easy drive. We've done it in just over an hour on Sunday mornings. And although the beach is pebbly, they have created a decently sized sandpit on the beach. The harbour is also well worth visiting for it's oldy-ness and and fresh sea food and past it is actually an okay sandy beech if the tide is low. As Molly said, if you follow the path down to Sandgate there's a fantastic fish and chips chop. I do think it's a two parent day out though, and exhausting! It's only 45 minutes by train into London (St. Pancras, not very helpful to you) ; I've been watching to see if it gets on the radar of London families looking for their next move!

Margate is not cute (Peckham by the sea? ;-) ) but has, in my opinion, one of the best beaches in Kent. Huge open beach with loads of lovely soft sand and not very busy. Short on cute shops and restaurants, but ideal for a beach day.

I have just read your post three times and for the life of me I can't understand what you're saying. I am quite sure, however, that most of "us" are not chain smoking all over our kids and don't give a sh*t. I actually don't think many posters are smokers, not that it matters.

She's not even really that overweight, couple of stone maybe? It's the stretchy skin thing I can relate to (where all of your stretched out skin looks a bit like a shar-pei!) Nobody told me that having a baby while being a bit long in the tooth means that old skin is lower on elastin and doesn't bounce back the way young skin does, and in my "total body pregnancy" I gained weight absolutely everywhere. All that skin stretched out and when the weight came off, surprise! Saggy baggy elephant skin. It's so much worse if there's a bit of extra weight jiggling around in those wrinkly bits. The same amount of fat on a 20 year old doesn't look at all like that. I doubt I'll ever show off my "matronly upper arms" again! Several of my friends have had post-baby tummy tucks to get rid of all the stretched out wrinkly tummy skin....... not something I'm up for but I can see what why they might want to. Pilates can't help you with that. Poor thing has her work cut out for her. And clearly the hormones and sleep deprivation have got the best of her because that green lycra is something else.

::o NFW! Did you really just say that? > > Chavs are completely amoral, having never been > subjected to right and wrong by their inattentive, > uncaring and often absent parents. Poorly > educated, non-skilled job with no chance of > improving/ on the dole, normally obese with three > children and one on the way, sounds common and > feels the need to broadcast it to everyone within > a three mile radius, cheap shiny Argos jewellery, > no manners. Almost always smoke and drink White > Lightning and buckfast tonic wine.

Wow. Ligaturiosity Wrote: > I have been advised to go to Peckham and have a go > at the women down there. What is that supposed to > mean? Are you making this an ethnic or social > thing? Why suggest Peckham???? How do you know > what ethnicity/social background etc this woman > was? Are you assuming that the woman in question > was some genteel, organic eating so and so > swanning down L/ship Lane having (to quote Keef) a > 'cheeky puff'? Nothing could be further from the > truth. I have rarely said anything like this to > anyone before. This woman and her friend were > twice my size and looked quite Vicky > Pollard-esque. They could easily have retaliated > if they'd wanted to, but evidently could not > defend the indefensible. Or in spite of their outward appearance they actually have more class than to lower themselves to your level? You want people to stop being nasty to you but listen to yourself. The more you say, the uglier it gets.

We did stickers, choc. buttons, "special seat", "special pants", special towels special step stool special bathroom soap money! blah blah blah and the kid just wasn't into it. At all. When he started pre-school at 3 yrs we were nervous about sending him in nappies but his fab teachers were not at all worried and let it run it's course. One day my son came home and said "Oscar pooed". That's all. Never found out how the drama unfolded, but two days later ours said "I want my tractor pants!" and that was that. I spend a year (off and on) and knocked myself out trying to train him. But Oscar's poo was the trick. You really have to laugh!

igaturiosity Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Just saw a woman brazenly smoking whilst heavily > pregnant. I could not help but give her a filthy > look, which she reciprocated...and then I let > loose and told her how selfish she was and how > disgusting is was to be smoking whilst pregnant, > and so publically. I told her she should be > ashamed of herself as well. This woman was > rendered speechless but I am glad I said all this. > My husband says I was wrong to say anything and > should have minded my own business but I was left > so mad by what I saw I couldn't help myself. What > do others think?!! Okay I'll play along, I think I get the rules now! You are disgusting. You should be ashamed of yourself. Why are you all so nasty? Okay your turn! Now you're supposed to be "rendered speechless".

Yep. We also used it for time out on the step or chair or whatever the flavour is that week. Oddly one of the few things we don't actually fight over, for some reason he has just accepted the timer as the boss! Ah small victories........

My son is also three and seems to be getting more possesive of his toys. Never used to be. I find at this age I can now talk to him before the play date and discuss the rules. We put away the "good" toys and leave out the sharing toys, which he chooses he agrees that these are the toys for sharing. If he gets nasty, he is warned once and then removed from the room and he can no longer play. It has to be consistent, and helps if the moms you visit with are like-minded so they see the same consequenses for others. It's so much harder to explain why Johnny doesn't have to share but you do.

Oh good, another circular argument. Just spent the weekend with my mother so a bit stocked up on crazy for the time being. Off to clean the toilets.

> > Call me judgemental? Ha! I am indeed. But aren't > we all? Quite so. I know I'm judging you right now. People are calling you judgmental because you came on here asking for judgements. You just don't like the way it turned out.

!

prdarling Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Are you for real? This is the stuff of > mentalists. > > How can you think it's acceptable to have a go at > a stranger on the street for something which is > absolutely none of your business? Yes we all know > smoking is bad for everyone and I'm sure the woman > has it left right and centre from her midwives etc > etc but at the end of the day, albeit a totally > stupid one, it's her decision and it's not > affecting you in the slightest so mind your own > damn business and stop being so sanctimonious. > > If a total stranger came up to me ranting about > something I was while minding my own business and > not affecting anyone else, I'd be seriously > alarmed about their mental health How much do I LOVE your post prdarling? So very much.

Lawrence Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I imagine all mothers to be do things others will > frown upon, ever used a baby walker? Tut. > > Personally I would far rather be the offspring of > an occasional smoker than that of a high strung, > judgemental psycho who thinks it acceptable to > berate complete strangers. > > Untie Hubby and chill out. I had to laugh at loud at this. My mother was/is a judgemental psycho. I WISH she had just had the cigarette instead! And Sean you could not have summed it up better.

Sorry to highjack this thread, didn't want to but can no longer sit on my hands! Jamma, I'm not sure where you are getting your research from but it's not really accurate. I did a degree in child psychology and I promise you that there is plenty of research that says that gender is innate. Not to mention the variety of stories we know of regarding babies in the past who had have mixed genitalia at birth and so were "assigned" a gender, based on the antiquated ideas you are sharing here. These children had incredibly complex psychological issues regarding "self". It just doesn't work that way. My son has also proven to me without a doubt that we are powerless to nature's grand plan. My husband and I have always been quite gender blind and encouraged him to enjoy "people" activities ........ we have also provided our son with dolls and tea sets as well as "boy" toys. We have no interest in cars/trucks/diggers/dirt/rocks/ants and yet our very "boyish" boy is obsessed. He really is "such a boy". No point in questioning society here. Humans fighting gender roles is a relatively new development and evolution moves pretty slowly. Although I don't think that fighting your gender is a particularly useful evolutionary tool, if you see what I mean. Supergolden88, boys are awesome! You'll love it! Jamma Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I think everyone's agreed that SuperGolden's > feelings are entirely normal. > But.. One has to question a society that > perpetuates the idea that even in utero a male or > female child is different except in the obvious > anatomical way. I am amazed and appalled by the > attitudes here. That girls do one thing and boys > do another. By thinking and talking that way you > are putting barriers in the way of all those girl > babies (and to a lesser extent boy babies) before > they've even had a chance. > There is mountains of evidence that > gender-specific behaviour is learned, not > ingrained. Don't throw out the 'girls' baby > clothes (what does this mean? That they are pink? > Who says pink is only for girls and blue for > boys?) dress your son in them. Define all your > children as people, not as a gender or race or > hair colour or whatever

Note to self: read more British tabloids :))

Moi23, that was a really excellent and honest post.