Some cultural differences...

[santaman2000]

Noisy jobs? The current advice is to do them around them from birth so they get used to it. Babies aren't too bothered after a while. Mine tends to eventually sleep so deeply it wouldn't hear or feel anything. it's how we can transfer it to other rooms in the house without waking it. We have vacuumed around him from practically day one (well day 10 at least because we didn't have time to do housework the first 10 days).

The first two years of my life we lived in a house that wasn't much different from being outdoors. You know the old unpainted board houses on the old black and white cowboy movies? Anyway, to the point of this post, the house was under a railroad trestle and even as a baby we (including me as a baby) slept right through the train chugging past less than fifty feet away with the crossing whistle blaring. Babies do indeed get used to noise quickly. To this day I find the sound of a passing train has a calming effect.

 

[Tadpole]

Noisy jobs? The current advice is to do them around them from birth so they get used to it. Babies aren't too bothered after a while. Mine tends to eventually sleep so deeply it wouldn't hear or feel anything. it's how we can transfer it to other rooms in the house without waking it. We have vacuumed around him from practically day one (well day 10 at least because we didn't have time to do housework the first 10 days).

I agree, you can get used to anything, eventually. But why try, why not just let the baby sleep in peace and the fresh air, 'till it needs to get used to noise.

 

[British Red]

Why start off making a baby fussy from the outset? Its not that quiet outdoors....birds, animals, wind in the trees, even tractors and combines if you are lucky. I'm not one for getting the world to adapt to babies - babies need to adapt to the world. You could put a marching band past my lasses cot and she didn't stir. She still sleeps well, she eats well too since she was no more allowed to be a fussy eater than she was a fussy sleeper

 

[Toddy]

I didn't fuss so much about the noise, but the dust of hoovering (even the best of hoovers blow dust around) wasn't something I thought good for them, let alone the dust from decorating, or the smell of the bleach I cleaned the loos with.
Time enough for all that I reckoned.

That said our new hoover hurts my ears it's so blooming noisy.

M

 

[Paul_B]

Isn't there the theory that half the childhood allergies is down to parents mollycoddling their kids and not getting exposed enough to potential allergens? The old theory that kids getting dirty in the outdoors, colds, etc only toughens them up...

 

[British Red]

If there isn't, there should be. Mollycoddled kids are sickly whinging pains as a rule - taught to be scared of their own shadow! I cam across a mother who routinely carried wet wipes and insisted their children did the same recently. I ask you - wiping kids down all the time? Why bother?

 

[Elen Sentier]

nice! I think there is too much fear in this country to leave your child outside, but it's a great idea. and good to see it reccommending wool clothing and a decent sleeping bag etc

I agree with the too much fear - you do tend to create what you fear ...

 

[Paul_B]

If there isn't, there should be. Mollycoddled kids are sickly whinging pains as a rule - taught to be scared of their own shadow! I cam across a mother who routinely carried wet wipes and insisted their children did the same recently. I ask you - wiping kids down all the time? Why bother?

Wet wipes? That used to be Mum licking her thumb or a tissue and wiping your face when I were a kid. Often met with an annoyed shrug from me which never managed to stop the embarrassment!!!!

 

[British Red]

Ah yes - the much feared "spit wash" - from a hanky shoved up the sleeve. Which was of course the most unhygenic thing you can imagine!

The most important piece of information any mother of sons should have burned on her brain is that "mummy's boy" is THE worst thing that can be said about any male!

 

[Toddy]

Mine got filthy on a daily basis, and never mind the spit wash, the cloot from the kitchen sink wiped hands and faces just fine....right enough, it usually smelled of bleach

Did it to Son1 once, he wasn't old enough for school, he said, and I quote, "Well, that was an experience ", I couldn't skelp him for laughter

Mummy's boys they aren't but I did enjoy being a Mum and because they don't read the forum, and it's their lives not mine and I refuse to hint or nag......

Toddy, good granny going to waste

 

[xylaria]

Ah yes - the much feared "spit wash" - from a hanky shoved up the sleeve. Which was of course the most unhygenic thing you can imagine!

The most important piece of information any mother of sons should have burned on her brain is that "mummy's boy" is THE worst thing that can be said about any male!

My mum was a really heavy smoker, the spitty tissue, eeeeeuuucccckkk. Not as bad as the under two with several meals caked its face.

My son is now 13, and the other kids at army cadets think it is wierd he cycles home and he isnt picked up in a car. Kids his age go places in a car, not a bus they catch themselves or bike, or on feet it seems.

 

[British Red]

Glad to hear that from both of you - the best thing any Mum can do for her young men is let them be men - dirty, sweaty, hard working, occasionally profane, loving, tongue tied, skilled, unable to talk about feelings, men. Thats how we are made, how we are meant to be.

It really is sad to see a "man" who has a "skincare regimen" I always wonder who owns the jar their manhood is in

 

[Llwyd]

The current generation of kids has a lower life expectancy than their parents so all of these modern parenting practices seem to have had an effect. I will be 40 in a few months and the 14-21 year old kids I volunteer with should be able to run circles around me but they cannot. They usually beat me at multiplayer Halo though...

Then people get all opinionated when I take my girlfriends 11 year old to the gun range. Truthfully she has been going since age 8 and is the only kid in her class that shoots sub 1MOA groupings.

Most people are shocked by anything that they do not regularly experience for themselves so I can see why the BBC would run a story about those evil people that live in cold countries. It generates web hits.

 

[British Red]

Good on you Llywd, my lass (all 5' 3" of her) laughed when offered a 20 bore to shoot clays at university. She complained they had only "amateur" shotguns in over and under format in 12 bore and took a quick left and right (having startled them with a second "pull" before the first was in the air).

My proudest moment was when she said to her (Office cadet) boyfriend - who she soundly thrashed on clays

Never mess with someone born to my daddy

 

[demographic]

The farm I lived on as a kid had quite a big garden, my mother described putting me in a pram at the opposite end of it when I was of that age but I think it was more about her getting some peace than about me getting fresh air.
As the last of six offspring I kind of figure she got to the point where she knew when kids were just winging for the sake of it.

Nowadays the Daily Wail has everyone in the UK worrying about odd strangers/catholic priests.

 

[Man of Tanith]

Well I''ve a toddler of almost two. Jake is a boy and will grow to be a man not one these thirty yr old boys.
He already gets muddy. And the spit wash.
I don't bundle him up anymore then I bundle myself up when cold.
He walks fair distances already and only gets carried when I can tell he is genuinely tired.
Soon as he can understand that daddy says no because it's not safe we are gonna be camping as often as possible.
I don't fuss him when he falls over. Just say oh dear. Result-hardly ever cries when he stacks over. And when he does I know it actually hurt rather than it being an attention seeking activity.

I agree with the concept that Too much cleanliness is bad for health. By bleaching work tops and wiping hands with antibacterial wipes every five seconds we remove stuff to make a healthy immune system. And once he is at school I'll follow the same methods my mum did with me and let him play with the kids who have measles mumps chicken pox etc. Get it all over and done when he is a child.

It Took me ten mins to type this as he is currently using me as a climbing frame

 

[British Red]

Give Dad a nice jammy sticky kiss Jake

 

[Man of Tanith]

Worse is the yogurt kiss.
Or rice pudding

 

[British Red]

....and you love them all you big softie!

 

[Man of Tanith]

Damn straight.