Any other expectant Dads?

[Blown2CV]

ooid said:

Blown2CV said:

no xmas presents to play with them?

Some but taking around top 5 mins to destroy and move on...

Thanks for the suggestions, it is really exhausting to keep them indoors with the plays. I've tried soft-play a few days ago, took him to Battersea Power station they had a really nice designated area for kids. I think it took him around 10 mins in total to finish all activities and start wandering around randomly by bumping into people.

We went to Spain for a family visit before christmas, the weather was fantastic so mostly walking around parks or buggy, he was having decent naps and evening sleeps, reminded me last summer when everything was easier!

don't get me wrong we had exactly the same issue. We spent on balance too much time with the extended families last year, so this year we blocked out some time between Xmas and NY just for us, but the weather has been so ste it's been hard to enjoy it to the full.

[okgo]

That screen time thing while noble is likely a lot of effort for nothing. At 3 he’ll be then using a screen, in 2 years time do you think that extra 6 months will have made any odds if you did it now?

Anyway, we’ve been to the cinema, we’ve been to an indoor rock wall twice (Substation if you’re in London), we’ve been to the huge softplay local to us, we’ve been to one down in Purley Way, we’ve made forts in the house, played hide and seek, had play dates with his friends/family. And we’ve watched a fair few Christmas films too. Also been to the park/playground/scooter/bike etc when weather been alright.

There’s a LOT of stuff there but knowing it exists is half the battle (rock wall for example).

[Blown2CV]

ours (5 and 7) don't use personal screens unless on long road trips. They can access things like youtube on the TV but only if we enter the PIN to allow them to access. I disagree that it's pissing in the wind to minimise screens at an early age.

[okgo]

Blown2CV said:

ours (5 and 7) don't use personal screens unless on long road trips. They can access things like youtube on the TV but only if we enter the PIN to allow them to access. I disagree that it's pissing in the wind to minimise screens at an early age.

Obviously there’s reasonable amounts that should be acceptable but it’s so entrenched in even schools now (tablets an iMacs in all the schools I’ve been visiting) that I can’t see the point to limiting it totally. Each to their own but in a few years I doubt it’ll have made a single bit of difference and possibly could go the other way..

We’ve seen with my sister in law who was quite draconian with all such things that now the kids are older and at boarding school during the week they’re going a bit ‘wild’ as they’re having pizza for the first time, or playing a games console, or having a phone - because they were so starved of all such things / it’s now impossible to get them off it as it’s like a totally new world to them, other kids seem to be much more healthy with it as it’s always been there - my son could care less for the TV or tablet because it’s just there (within reasonable limits) - if I made a thing of it like I do some things (say, chocolate) he’d be I think like a rabid dog with it.

[ooid]

I think there is indoor climbing area near us but I need to check the age limit, cheers! I've just registered with 'little kicks', its only 45 mins and once a week but a colleague told me it might really make a difference.

Holidays like these make you appreciate nursery despite the fees!

[Blown2CV]

okgo said:

Blown2CV said:

ours (5 and 7) don't use personal screens unless on long road trips. They can access things like youtube on the TV but only if we enter the PIN to allow them to access. I disagree that it's pissing in the wind to minimise screens at an early age.

Obviously there’s reasonable amounts that should be acceptable but it’s so entrenched in even schools now (tablets an iMacs in all the schools I’ve been visiting) that I can’t see the point to limiting it totally. Each to their own but in a few years I doubt it’ll have made a single bit of difference and possibly could go the other way..

We’ve seen with my sister in law who was quite draconian with all such things that now the kids are older and at boarding school during the week they’re going a bit ‘wild’ as they’re having pizza for the first time, or playing a games console, or having a phone - because they were so starved of all such things / it’s now impossible to get them off it as it’s like a totally new world to them, other kids seem to be much more healthy with it as it’s always been there - my son could care less for the TV or tablet because it’s just there (within reasonable limits) - if I made a thing of it like I do some things (say, chocolate) he’d be I think like a rabid dog with it.

i said minimise at a young age not minimise until adulthood. Those things are entirely different. There is no social need to have a device at age 7. Yes they have eaten pizza. Why would this be seen as binary choice?? Deprive them of everything or set no restrictions at all?? Putting some guardrails around stuff is basically all your role is as a parent...

[okgo]

It sort of goes without saying that no normal person would let their 3 year old watch TV all day but limiting kids seems entirely pointless to me.

Who cares.

[Blown2CV]

okgo said:

It sort of goes without saying that no normal person would let their 3 year old watch TV all day but limiting kids seems entirely pointless to me.

Who cares.

Well, some people do care.

[okgo]

Blown2CV said:

Well, some people do care.

It was rather in response to this exchange - I suddenly realised it’s all mostly inane. My fault as much as anyone.

[xerawh]

Apologies if covered, but does anyone use a single device for both white noise and soft night light?

We have a Google nest hub in the room, with Spotify for white noise but the display stays really bright. Travelling we use a phone for white noise but would be good to get a dedicated solution.

Thanks.

[ooid]

We have an air purifier, has a tiny white noise and light. We do not use the light though, total darkness needed for my son's sleep. We went through a serious sleep training back at 9 months old and that was one of the factors helped him really.

[the-norseman]

xerawh said:

Apologies if covered, but does anyone use a single device for both white noise and soft night light?

We have a Google nest hub in the room, with Spotify for white noise but the display stays really bright. Travelling we use a phone for white noise but would be good to get a dedicated solution.

Thanks.

We were using the stars from our camera and google mini to play rain noises but we have just upgraded to one of these stars projectors that also has noises built in.

[mcdjl]

We've got a tomy pink noise and red light thing that is not activated. The red light is useful for setting in the dark the noise makes more difference to my wife than the baby.

[fiatpower]

My first is due on the 1st Feb although we've been told they will probably induce week 38 or 39 so between the 18th - 25th January. Not sure where the 9 months went! The house is just about ready with a few last bits to organise/tidy. Looking forward to her arrival but equally crapping myself!

[Parsnip]

xerawh said:

Apologies if covered, but does anyone use a single device for both white noise and soft night light?

We have a Google nest hub in the room, with Spotify for white noise but the display stays really bright. Travelling we use a phone for white noise but would be good to get a dedicated solution.

Thanks.

https://www.boots.com/frida-baby-2-in-1-portable-sound-machine-nightlight-10319275?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc-_-PLAs_HeroCompare-_--_-PMax:+UK_Smart_Shopping_Baby&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAqNSsBhAvEiwAn_tmxSmymLBPoijFMtUsZ0A6NFn7cw0Qf5ckkv62MTdIrkP8dLiOFrGXKxoCOjQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

We have a couple of these. Its a box that makes white noise and light - can't say much else other than that.

[Carl_VivaEspana]

we used Spotify or you tube premium to play white noise or lullabies.

both will play on phones or tablets when the screen is locked so there should not be any brightness issues.

if your device stops playing when it's locked and you are using Spotify, it's probably the power settings on the device causing Spotify to stop. for youtube you'll need premium for it to play whilst the device is locked.

[okgo]

https://open.spotify.com/track/2GaBLNxQ5WiuYHIuCAW...

That’s my go-to frequency

[jimmybell]

xerawh said:

Apologies if covered, but does anyone use a single device for both white noise and soft night light?

We have a Google nest hub in the room, with Spotify for white noise but the display stays really bright. Travelling we use a phone for white noise but would be good to get a dedicated solution.

Thanks.

we use the dreamegg plug-in one on my wife's bedside for white noise + a central button for light when needed (mostly just for feeding in the night). use it daily.

it's good enough i bought their portable version for the pram.

I should say we also have an alexa thing, and a large sonos speaker in the room - the dedicated little dreamegg always gets the use as it's just easier with one physical button. only downside is you cant have light without noise.

Edited by jimmybell on Wednesday 3rd January 13:56

[xerawh]

Thanks all

The dream egg may be the solution. To be honest I don't mind the light so much if it's a soft warm yellow. I'm trying to take the approach that it helps them adapt as not everywhere is going to be blackout dark and I don't have to carry blinds etc.

[jimmybell]

xerawh said:

Thanks all

The dream egg may be the solution. To be honest I don't mind the light so much if it's a soft warm yellow. I'm trying to take the approach that it helps them adapt as not everywhere is going to be blackout dark and I don't have to carry blinds etc.

yeah it's a soft warm yellow, has an 'on' mode and a 'soft pulse' mode. tbh we have a changing station in our room so i also bought a book clip bendy reading light for that (focussed, small light that points at only the nappy..) so we have a dim light for middle-of-the-night changes, too.

we installed near-blackout curtains in our room, and it's noticeable using the baby monitor camera she often is lying there eyes open - i suspect if she could see she'd be distracted and less likely to sleep. also when trying to put her down awake and walk away, she cant see we're walking off and get pissy about it.

...that said, she (baby) will also sleep happily in various light levels for daily naps.. our preferred method recently is just the bassinet in our 'beast' pram in the corridor - as you say, ensuring she's not tied to one specific setup for sleep.

all of this is just guesswork in our house, constantly trying to think about the adverse consequences of the systems we're putting in place.