May 202012
 

When Travelling with Children; Consider Baby Panodol

There are three things that should not be separated; International Travel, Children, and Baby Panodol. It can be done, international travel with children that is; but I wouldn’t recommend it; not to anyone unless you have a bottle of Baby Panodol to drug them with.

Before you go crying foul, for the record I don’t mean drug them literally, but, that’s what Baby Panodol is, a drug of sorts, although the manufacturers would rather call it something else, whatever it is.

This all relates to Life BC. What is life before children you may be asking. Well, Life Before Children, as it relates to the less than enlightened, pertains to that blissful ignorance that all things a light and roses.

The reason being, recently whilst undertaking some international travel, the first since BC, Life Before Children (more on that soon), my youngest child literally went nuts about a half hour into the flight! I mean, he really went nut!  He cried, screamed, threw things across the plane cabin; you name it, from about a half hour into the flight and continued for the next three hours he just plain lost his marbles.

He really knew how to pull my strings, and there was nothing I could do about it. I still haven’t figured out what he was distressed about.  He wasn’t in pain.  But I was.

So, what I mean when I say something to drug your child with is that you need to have a child trauma backup treatment on hand; something to take the edge off a major tantrum.  I don’t recommend first time international travel with a young child to anyone; unless of course you have a bottle of Baby Panodol.

Back to the diatribe; So, what does all this mean to the uninitiated?

Life BC – Before Children

Well, it means that travel is no longer a pleasant experience; as it was with life BC (Life Before Children, ie BC rather, International Travel is an undertaking that should be considered long and hard; considered in the same manner that would accompany someone who is resigned to facing the firing squad. You will suffer at the hands of the toddler, and there isn’t anything one can do to address it.

Life Before Children was devoid of consideration for others to any significant degree.  But, Life After Children, is a whole different kettle of fish. You can’t escape that. You have to consider your kids.

Enjoy Your Trip, and consider Baby Panodol; just in case.

Peter Hallam
May 212010
 

Miranda having a Tantrum

I have a two year old toddler, Miranda, who is absolutely adorable. But, as most parents will know, the terrible two’s often throw a spanner in the works when it comes to behaviour issues. I have always wondered how it was possible to enforce a reasonable amount of discipline on a two year old without smacking or anything ‘abusive’.

I had always been lead to believe that Time Out when a toddler was ‘misbehaving’ was an acceptable way to discipline a toddler. Well, after reading this article on Time Out by a child development expert Peter Haiman I now believe otherwise. Time Out is a less than acceptable way to discipline a toddler as it appears it will do more harm than good according to Dr Peter Haiman. Continue reading »

May 122010
 

Who is responsible for this!

To start with, don’t get the wrong idea from the title of the post. It isn’t perverted or sexual or anything related in any manner. Merely, the subject of toilets is one that I have become interested in since having to come to terms with toilet training a toddler.

Now, think about it, there are approximately 7 billion people on the planet, roughly half male, and half female, with a small undetermined number of people hanging off the fence unable to decide which they are. But, to get to the bottom of it (pun intended) all, as in everyone, being approximately 7 billion people, unless you are an alien, in which case you probably sweat it out profusely, all use the toilet at least once a day. So, go figure why the topic is sort of taboo.

Anyway, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS? A male or a female? You tell me! Continue reading »

May 092010
 

The Nappy Rash Clause relates specifically to incidence of Nappy Rash resultant from either Neglect or Insufficient Nappy Changes of infants and toddlers throughout the day.

The Nappy Rash Clause is used in conjunction with a Nappy Indemnity Day on Mothers Day. Specifically, the Nappy Rash Clause relates to the Issuance of another follow up Nappy Indemnity Day immediately following the primary Nappy Indemnity Day should the presence of Nappy Rash be detected on any children wearing nappies whilst technically under the care of a daddy during a Nappy Indemnity Day. Continue reading »

Apr 192010
 

I had the pleasure of my darling 2 year old, standing next to me in bed this morning, like a ghost observing their quarry.

She had gotten herself out of her cot, no mean feat mind you, and had decided that my bed was much better than hers.

But, she didn’t announce herself in the usual manner. She just stood there for a few minutes observing daddy blissfully asleep in bed.

Well, that didn’t last long, and as soon as she decided the time was right, she promptly announced herself to her unsuspecting blissfully asleep daddy in the most inconsiderate manner. Needless to say, it was a shock to the system.

Be warned all prospective parents, this WILL happen to you at the most unlikely time.

Have fun.

Apr 102010
 

My nanna in Melbourne Australia, april 2010

Elijah the Escape Artist

Have you ever had a baby that just would not stay swaddled? For some reason he is either too strong or  too dexterous, too tricky or too stubborn to keep swaddled up at night? Well, my baby son Ellijah is one of those babies.

You try to swaddle them firmly, wrap their arms properly, tuck them in all nice and warm at night, but for some reason, just when it is coldest, just when you are in a blissfully deep sleep dreaming something pleasant, and he escapes. He wakes up. He feels the need to wiggle around. He escapes his bonds and gets his arms out, he starts rolling around, and next he finds his hands to start trying to suck on, because that’s what babies do. He finds out quite quickly that his hands are no replacement for mummy.

This is bad. Now he is VERY awake. Now he wants food. He wants Mummy. Now it is time for my darling wife, pretending to be asleep next to me, to get up. But, it gets worse, because now I am VERY awake too. Yes, now everyone, including my darling daughter Miranda are now awake, because, Elijah has escaped. He starts crying at 4am in the morning because he has escaped, and he is awake, and he is cold, and he is hungry, and he wants attention.

What do you do about this? Well, just as most parents would do, you get up and attend to the escape artist.

Fun huh…. :(

Mar 092010
 

Miranda plots the move to Luxembourg.

My darling daughter decided, at two years of age, that life in Australia wasn’t working for her. So, she, being an intelligent little girl, has prepared for the move to LUXEMBOURG by changing all the language settings, time settings and keyboard settings so that we may practice our newly adopted countries written language.

This is all good and well until I bang my head around trying to figure out why my English / Australian keyboard returns me gibberish every time I try to do something with it.

It is amazing what can be done in ten minutes by a little girl left alone with no supervision, access to the computer, and firm belief that is in complete control of the situation.

Pretty cute isn’t she  :)