Dulwich Born And Bred

Damzel, there was a baby who was very young, I guess about 3 months or so at Goodrich, crying and crying, it was the hottest day of the year at the time and she had on trousers, socks, shoes etc! My mum said outloud " Some people need to realise it is HOT!!" I don't think she got it though! Buggie, I have a friend who is Turkish, and she had her baby's moses basket against the radiator, wrapped in hat, vest, bodysuit, blanket etc!! I had to tell her how dangerous that was but she said that her in country they wrap the baby up very warmly, I didn't want to tell her that is probably one of the reasons why Turkey has a high rate of infant fatality! Ryedalema, sorry to hear about your baby's rash, this weather is not good if you have a sore botty. My son is teething too, I have had to change his nappies from huggies/pampers to Moltex ( the chemicals in them were giving him a red bum) I used metanium (sp?) to clear his bum and then bepanthen everyday to keep it at bay as it is safe to use very single day and since then we have had no sore bums ( touch wood) hope your baby's teething pains and bottom clears soon x

As I said in my message, not ALL boys will be the same and not ALLgirls will be the same, since we are all people in our own rights and we all have our only personalities based on our environment, our influences and how we think, so I made it clear that you will get boys and girls who will be different to how their gender is perceived to be as you pointed out with loud girls and quiet boys. We can only base things on our own experiences, my nieces didn't want to watch the football, so for you it might attract both gender but in my case it was just my son drawn to the very noisy sport as he is to all toys that are very noisy and involves a lot of banging, and if it is not noisy then he will be banging the toys loudly. And why would I be joking about the girls following mummy? it is very good for you if you have one of those husbands who pulls his weight and does the cleaning, ironing and the cooking on an equal basis to you and runs the household equally with you but in quite a lot of homes I bet that it is the women who run the homes ( even if they have a job) and most girls will follow their mums and want to help out with the washing , cooking etc, some boys also. I wanted to be like my mum so I was always wanting to help with the cooking, washing and pretending to iron. My niece even asked for a hoover for christmas since her mum is her role model and her mum hoovers, why does it have to be a bad thing? it is all role playing and practice for when she does grow up and leave home and be independent. As a single mummy I will be ensuring my son grows up pulling his weight, he will be helping out with cleaning, washing, and cooking. As the article said that someone posted on here, most kids will tend to go and hang around with their own genders because they feel more at ease with them. You see typical signs of this at parties, and get togethers, the men/boys all group in one room/corner and the ladies group in their corner/group , naturally you will get some men with the ladies and vice versa but generally people feel comfortable with their own, be it by nationality, ethicinity, gender, age etc. As for dressing boys in dresses, some places the men wear skirts ( Scottish, Greeks etc) girls do wear trousers, I have seen plenty of men and boys in pink, and plenty of girls and women in blue ( I wear blue) so I don't really understand your point? Why does it bother you so much? Jamma Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Yeah I didn't want to hijack the thread, I don't > think I am as it's kind of related to the original > post. But let me be clear I have sympathy with the > original poster and I think we can all agree that > she's nothing to be ashamed of in feeling the way > she is. > However. I have a problem with the way society > genders kids from birth, apparently from before > birth in fact. If society simply treated a child > as a child then the gender would not make a > difference. > Heidi's comments are a case in point. People say > her son is 'boyish' - what does this mean? Who > says that being boyish has to mean being > aggressive, loud etc? Who says being feminine > equals being soft? By thinking that you are doing > a disservice to all the boys who are quiet, > bookish, caring etc and all the girls who are > load, energetic etc. You are putting limits on > that child, projecting an idea of what they > 'should' be like according to their gender. (I am > taking it for granted Heidi that your line about > girls copying mum doing the washing and ironing > was a joke right? And most kids like football on > telly - it's the calming green and the white noise > of the crowd) > I'm struck by the way more and more people these > days do find out the gender of their child before > the birth. And by doing so they project their own > gendered ideas on to that child. This is well > documented. > If the admins think I am hi-jacking the thread > then by all means says so but I couldn't help but > respond to some of the incredibly gendered > responses on here.

Just to add, maybe you should start another thread about gender instead of hijacking this one as it would be really interesting to see what people's views are on this but obviously out of respect for Supergolden88 it would be better to move it to a different thread.

Congrats on baby!! x

Gee Jamma, why so defensive? Naturally not ALL boys are the same, not ALL girls are the same but I think it is silly to think we make boys the way they are and we make girls the way they are, how did they become the way they are in the first place? I don't think one man decided he was going to like blue, be physically different/stronger and that all other boys should lead by his example and like blue, footballs and so on, the same as girls, I don't think it was decided to like pink only! Obviously a girl will feel more comfortable with her own sex for example and will role play by copying her mum and playing with dolls and pretending to iron and wash but I know boys who play with dolls too. I am giving an example whereby my son has his own personality from newborn and everyone has commented on how very boyish he is despite the fact I am a single mum and he has no father figure in his life but yet to see him at 10 months, he is really a typical boy ( that is he behaved the way most boys I know personally behave), loud, thuggish, straight for balls, TV, Mobiles, Remotes, always banging things, lunging himself off things, there is nothing soft and feminine about him already. The football was on last night and he crawled straight up to the TV and was glued to it, and I don't like football! If my son wants to wear pink and my nieces want to wear blue, then there is no problem with that though when we go shopping and pass the toys aisle my son is straight away grabbing all the noisy toys ( mobiles that make noises etc) give him a doll or a teddy and it is tossed aside.

Apologies if I offend by this post but I have noticed that lots and lots of mums are draping BLANKETS over their babies prams and car seats to keep the sun out. Blankets keep the heat in, and with a blanket over their car seat/prams, it is stopping the air from circulating in the pram and trapping the heat ( bury your head under your blanket and duvet in bed and you will see what I mean) a muslin, very thin cotton cover, breastfeeding cover or even a shade a babe/sun shield cover for their buggy/pram would be more effective and safe whilst allowing air in to circulate and ensuring the baby is comfortable. I feel the same about blankets over a baby head when breastfeeding. It just has been bugging me when I have been out and about in the baking heat and seeing blankets over the pram.

I don't like seeing babies tightly swaddled, I feel so sorry for them forced into one position. I used to very very lightly swaddle my son with his cellular blanket so he could get him arms free but he never did like being wrapped, hated the grobags, and kicks off his blankets and sheets, he likes being free. My midwife came to my house and stripped my son down to his bodysuit and said to keep him like that as babies cannot control their temperature and like to be comfortable with room to move so not to wrap him up and layer him too much, I gave a smug smile to my mum as she loved to swaddle my son loosely whereas it used to bug me and I ended up removing his blanket. I do know some babies love it, and some don't. There are swaddle bags that offer lots of room to move but offers the comfort of being in the womb.

I got a cake from the cake store and didn't like it, it was ?60 for a victorian sponge cake and chocolate icing and was bland but maybe that is just us. However I will recommend Ceri cake, we ordered a chocolate and mint cake from her, plus a carousel cake and both were utterly divine. Ceri is doing my son's first birthday cake and his baptism cake also. Plus she is local, got to support the local businesses!

LOL Gina,,,not the encouragement I was looking for! Pickles does the extra weightwatchers points include lots of chocolates that I just cannot stop eating? Weightwatchers just does not appeal to me because of having to learn the points system, why can't they just stick to calories instead of points? I had always controlled my weight in the past via calorie counting and exercise and I did try once to learn the points system but kept thinking in calories so gave up ( same way as I can never get the hand of KGs etc as I think in pounds and stones). I just need my willpower to kick in then I know I will be ok. I have been waiting for 10 months though.

I disagree Jamma, gender usually is decided in the womb, my son is not 'made' to act a certain way, he does act like a proper loud boy already. He has cousins who are female, and he is surrounded by them constantly but he is not interested in their toys and what they do, he just wants to climb on them, shout loudly and show off. He is constantly going for the gadgets whereas my nieces were typical girls when they were babies so I disagree with what you say. Its all in the DNA. Naturally you get girls with more masculine ways and boys with more feminine ways but mostly boys will be boys and girls will be girls!

Lovely big eyes!! Gorgeous! x

My son is 10 months and I am 3 stones overweight, I am breastfeeding and cannot find any willpower to diet...it is so depressing being fat and with the summer we are having it is not fun still wearing big horrible clothes. I cannot wait until he is off the breast so I can diet...I do wonder though if I will ever get back into my usual size bras and 8/10 clothes!

The maclaren techno xt has a window so you can view the baby via the window when it is in the flat position.

New Mother, there is always people worse off and better off, Supergolden88 is sharing feelings. It is prefectly normal. As I said I really really wanted a girl badly, I was disappointed when I found out it was a boy, and at all my scans, even the 4D one, and when I gave birth I still kept asking if it was a boy and not a girl? :)) but as I said, I loved him when I carried him ( even if I did kind of hope he would change gender whilst in the womb!) and I loved him beyond words when he was plonked onto me as soon as I gave birth, all rubber legged, white/blue, with his little alien face, confused squinty brown eyes looking at me as if to say "Are you the lady that is going to be my mum who will love and protect me forever?" the answer was 'Yes' of course and it is a pleasure being his mummy. Today whilst I was sleeping, he planted a big kiss on my lips quite a few times and kept laughing and it just confirmed that he is my baby, my son, my boy, part of me, and everything he does is wonderful because he is mine ( even if he is a little thug at times!).

Just realised that tomorrow is meant to be the HOTTEST day,so hot that they have issued a health warning. If it is not too hot and my son is not too grumpy then I shall be there x

The Maclaren Techno XT is excellent and goes completely flat for babies also x

Hello Claire! I have some MAM bottles and teats that I purchased for my son in order to get him to take to the bottles but alas, it did not work. If you don't mind the fact that my son has used ( and refused!) the bottles then you are welcomed to have mine? They are quite hard to get hold of, I bought mine online. I have a NUK bottle and teat also if you want to try that as well? Let me know!

Horsebox, I think you will find that most things on this forum has nothing to do with most of us....does not stop any of us posting and giving our opinion does it? As I work with children I am quite concerned about anything that puts a child in harm's way. I know you cannot protect them from everything and they all have to make their way in the big wide world sooner or later, but I have issues with a five year old being supervised by an 8 years old. They invited us to comment on their post and we did, that shall be the last I shall say on the matter.

I find it quite clinical also, are your children social experiments to see if by letting them cycle a mile to school without an adult will result them in being well rounded adults because they took risks as a child and were given that kind of freedom at such a young age? This is not a five minutes walk to school, this is a one mile cycle where there are busy roads. I fail to see your logic and reasoning behind your decision, I don't need stats, researchers and so on, to tell me that an eight year old supervising a five year old to school is right/safe when common sense says otherwise. There are many children who goes to school with an adult supervising, and I don't believe for one minute that they will grow up to be adults that have no idea how to cross the road, deak with certain situations, and will fear the world outside their door.

The NHS website says one or two units a week which is what I was told: http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/958.aspx?CategoryID=54&SubCategoryID=135 http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/features/family/alcohol-and-breastfeeding http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/pdfs/Alcohol_and_Breastfeeding_March_2009.pdf I cannot find anything that says anything over 2units is safe.

On a serious note you can find out here http://www.eastdulwichcommunitycentre.org.uk/index_files/Page607.htm

I thought they were called ConDem?!

TWO bottles?!::o I got tipsy on just one bottle of Bulmer Pear Cider ( classy I am!). I was told two units and no more than that and only now and again.

Dulwich is fabulous if you are one of the lucky ones to have a huge garden and can send your children to private secondary school. Dulwich is wonderfully central, there is so much for little ones to do in the way of classes/groups, plus this forum is such a good way of meeting other mums and babies. However despite the fact that I am fifth generation of being a Dulwich resident and my son is sixth generation, I do think it has changed a lot and I am wanting to give my son a more outdoors life. We will be relocating to Sussex, and I have researched the area and was so surpised to find so many baby groups/classes/activities, and a lot of them are within 20/30 minutes walking distance. I was impressed also by the activities such as the sailing club, abseiling and so on, all the kind of things I can see my son being part of as he becomes older. Sussex is surrounded by beautiful little villages, towns, beaches, the Downs, and if he wants Nightlife, he has Brighton and other places. I want him breathing better air than this London air and I want it to be normal for him to go to the beach, play in the woods and so on. I will always love Dulwich since I have known nothing but Dulwich but as I have my son now, I do feel it would be in his benefit to be out in the country.

Keef, That made me smile...your daughter is fiery! I like that!:)) I admit I did laugh at the bit about you ending up in A and E, I can picture you telling the medical professionals that it was as a result of being attacked by your little daughter! Babies are great, especially when they are your own, regardless of their gender.