The Newborn & Toddlers Off-Topic Chat Thread

angeldelight

Interesting that insurers all have different rules!

heldel00

I drove after 2 weeks and looking back in it now I'm certain that it hindered my recovery.
Remember it more than likely won't just be you heading out in the car. Those bloody car seats weigh a tonne and you are twisting yourself this way and that to get it into the car, along with maybe having to strap in a toddler, bring the buggy etc ...
I wouldn't do it again.

foodaholic

I've had two sections - my car insurance was with the AA both times.

Once I got a verbal go ahead from my GP I could drive.

First section I was driving after 3 weeks
Second section at 2 weeks

It's really up to you if you feel ready or not

tickingclock

Any suggestions for healthy snacks for a two year old? She wars three good meals a day and would have the odd snack of a yoghurt, fresh fruit, raisins or rice cakes. I'm looking for other ideas just to vary it up a bit. She asks for sweeties and I can get away with those healthy snacks so I'm trying to vary it. Thanks

RentDayBlues

tickingclock wrote: »

Any suggestions for healthy snacks for a two year old? She wars three good meals a day and would have the odd snack of a yoghurt, fresh fruit, raisins or rice cakes. I'm looking for other ideas just to vary it up a bit. She asks for sweeties and I can get away with those healthy snacks so I'm trying to vary it. Thanks

I make gingerbread or banana bread, freeze in portions and defrosts quickly. Popular here, try not to add sugar unless necessary.

Mine also love humous and carrot sticks

fro9etb8j5qsl2

We give fruit, yoghurt, occasional chunks of cheddar and the odd fig roll or plain digestive. I have a breadmaker and make all of our own bread so I have a few simple tasty and not too unhealthy recipes for fruit bread and savoury bread that my little fella loves. He is a total bread fiend though

fro9etb8j5qsl2

Oh, also things that they can hold and munch like savoury muffins and falafels. I saw ready made falafel-yam type things in dunnes recently that looked yummy and perfect for on the go snacks and I keel meaning to find a recipe and try them out as they would be handy and good for freezing too.

tickingclock

Thanks. Can I get the recipie for the gingerbread and banana bread please? I make falafel but it breaks up everywhere!! Must try the carrots and hummous

RentDayBlues

tickingclock wrote: »

Thanks. Can I get the recipie for the gingerbread and banana bread please? I make falafel but it breaks up everywhere!! Must try the carrots and hummous

Banana Bread
INGREDIENTS

250g Self Raising Flour
125g Butter
50g Muscavado Sugar
100g Raisins
2 Eggs
2 Large Bananas (mashed)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence

METHOD

Preheat oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3. Lightly grease and base line a 900g/2lb loaf tin.
Put the butter, sugar, eggs, mashed banana and vanilla essence into a bowl and beat well.
Add the flour and stir into the mixture. Stir in raisins.
Transfer to the prepared tin, shake the mixture to settle and bake in a central oven position for about 50 minutes until well risen and a knife gently pressed into the bread comes out clean.
Allow to rest in tin for about 10 minutes then turn onto a wire tray to cool.
When cold wrap in greaseproof paper and tinfoil.

I somethings leave out the sugar and put some choc chips in as a treat

RentDayBlues

Gingerbread
140g unsalted butter
100g dark muscovado sugar
3 tbsp golden syrup
350g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Melt butter, sugar and syrup in a pan. Mix flour, soda, spices and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Stir in the butter mix.

Allow to cool, wrap in cling film and leave in fridge for at least an hour, it makes it easier to handle.

Roll out dough to about 5mm thick. Stamp out gingerbread men, re-rolling and pressing the trimmings back together and rolling again. Lift onto baking sheets. Bake for 12 mins until golden. Cool 10 mins on the sheets, then lift onto cooling racks.

I find it makes about 30-40, I freeze and they can defrost at room temp in 5 mins, they are so small there's nothing. My kids love them, handy to have for adults too.

nikpmup

Thin slices of apple with peanut butter

Waffles/pancakes (made without sugar)

Cheese muffins/banana muffins

Hummus with toast strips

Eggy bread

There's a Facebook page called Super Healthy Kids that has loads of suggestions/recipies for healthy meals and snacks

moving_home

nikpmup wrote: »

Thin slices of apple with peanut butter

Waffles/pancakes (made without sugar)

Cheese muffins/banana muffins

Hummus with toast strips

Eggy bread

There's a Facebook page called Super Healthy Kids that has loads of suggestions/recipies for healthy meals and snacks

I do all of the ones you mentioned. Egg muffins with fruit also good. Very quick is mashed banana and avocado too. Toast with almond butter and cheese.

I don't find Super Healthy kids healthy at all. I unfollowed. Too much oil and frying for my liking

nikpmup

moving_home wrote: »

I do all of the ones you mentioned. Egg muffins with fruit also good. Very quick is mashed banana and avocado too. Toast with almond butter and cheese.

I don't find Super Healthy kids healthy at all. I unfollowed. Too much oil and frying for my liking

Ah yeah, there's stuff like that on there but I ignore/adapt a lot of the stuff to suit

Emmadilema123

nikpmup wrote: »

Thin slices of apple with peanut butter

Waffles/pancakes (made without sugar)

Cheese muffins/banana muffins

Hummus with toast strips

Eggy bread

There's a Facebook page called Super Healthy Kids that has loads of suggestions/recipies for healthy meals and snacks

Mine go nuts for pancakes! No sugar and they still think they are getting a treat! I just fling the ingredients in the cake mixer. Easy as anything!

Woodbrook80

Hi I'm new here I'm a first time mother so it's all new to me he was only born last week
He seems to be quiet unsettled ie takes a while to go off to sleep the best place he sleeps is in my bed/arms which I don't want him getting too used to and don't like leaving hom crying etc any tips would be great

RentDayBlues

Woodbrook80 wrote: »

Hi I'm new here I'm a first time mother so it's all new to me he was only born last week
He seems to be quiet unsettled ie takes a while to go off to sleep the best place he sleeps is in my bed/arms which I don't want him getting too used to and don't like leaving hom crying etc any tips would be great

Let him sleep in your arms! Hes so new to this world and you're his safety. It will pass and soon you'll have a toddler who won't even let you hug them! For the first few weeks whatever works, works! No such thing as bad habits. Congrats

angeldelight

Woodbrook80 wrote: »

Hi I'm new here I'm a first time mother so it's all new to me he was only born last week
He seems to be quiet unsettled ie takes a while to go off to sleep the best place he sleeps is in my bed/arms which I don't want him getting too used to and don't like leaving hom crying etc any tips would be great

Congratulations! He's such a tiny baby and the world is so big and loud and scary for him. There's no such thing as spoiling a baby - if you look up some stuff about the 4th trimester it makes a lot of sense

Woodbrook80

Also started using infacol cause he is struggling with wind hope his not too small for it as seems to have settled him a bit

Dolbert

It's impossible to give a newborn 'bad habits'! He doesn't see himself as being separate from you yet. On-chest sleeping is the only thing that worked for us at the start, but he's been happily sleeping on his own since 5 months

heldel00

My little man was sleeping through the night at 2 months but since 4months (he's now 6mo) he's been waking a few times a night.
I used to just give him a little drop of water but that would only keep him content for half hour or so. I'm back at work, constantly wrecked and gave in last week and gave him some formula.
Now the little divil is waking far more and the only thing that will settle him is getting his bottle.
In fairness he'll only take an ounce or two and falls back asleep for a while so it's not like I'm sitting up for ages with him but broken sleep is still a killer.
Any advice?
(Btw he goes down at half 8 and doesn't get out of cot until 6am)

moving_home

heldel00 wrote: »

My little man was sleeping through the night at 2 months but since 4months (he's now 6mo) he's been waking a few times a night.
I used to just give him a little drop of water but that would only keep him content for half hour or so. I'm back at work, constantly wrecked and gave in last week and gave him some formula.
Now the little divil is waking far more and the only thing that will settle him is getting his bottle.
In fairness he'll only take an ounce or two and falls back asleep for a while so it's not like I'm sitting up for ages with him but broken sleep is still a killer.
Any advice?
(Btw he goes down at half 8 and doesn't get out of cot until 6am)

4 month sleep regression I reckon. http://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/4-month-sleep-regression-2/?utm_expid=8074202-21.FrQSJGACS8itZnbO63LBcA.1&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ie%2Fsearch%3Fsite%3D%26source%3Dhp%26ei%3D1eUIV5SoHsKRPZf4mtAG%26q%3D4%2Bmonth%2Bsleep%2Bregression.%2B%26oq%3D4%2Bmonth%2Bsleep%2Bregression.%2B%26gs_l%3Dmobile-gws-hp.3...1841.6142.0.6504.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1c.1.64.mobile-gws-hp..0.0.0.iyNAFP9M-SA

Things started to improve from around 6.5 months for us

Emmadilema123

Woodbrook80 wrote: »

Hi I'm new here I'm a first time mother so it's all new to me he was only born last week
He seems to be quiet unsettled ie takes a while to go off to sleep the best place he sleeps is in my bed/arms which I don't want him getting too used to and don't like leaving hom crying etc any tips would be great

Congratulations! I'm sitting her with my 3rd new born and can tell you that was pretty standard for all of mine! Kept all mine up in arms for most of the first few weeks! Have you got a bouncer or swing? I have a lovely bouncer from mamas and papas and it's great even for the smallies (my baby is currently only 4lbs 14oz)

You could also try baby wearing? Wallaboo do lovely slings!

Woodbrook80

I thought he would be too small for the bouncer yet

heldel00

Woodbrook80 wrote: »

I thought he would be too small for the bouncer yet

I'm guessing she means bouncer chair as opposed to a jumperoo or the likes

Emmadilema123

Woodbrook80 wrote: »

I thought he would be too small for the bouncer yet

I did too but this little one is very snug. My baby is tiny and it's fine for her! Do you have a bouncer? I can post a pic of it?

Emmadilema123

heldel00 wrote: »

I'm guessing she means bouncer chair as opposed to a jumperoo or the likes

Were miles off the jumperoo for little titch yet lol she will prob be starting school before she fits it!

tickingclock

There's too many for me to remember and I can't multi quote buy thanks for the suggestions!! Some aren't good for my waist line!! The banana bread us delicious!!! Love that there's only 50g of sugar. Just showed me how sweet raisins and bananas actually are. Everything is long eaten so next time I'll make double for the freezer!! Thanks to you all for replying

RentDayBlues

tickingclock wrote: »

There's too many for me to remember and I can't multi quote buy thanks for the suggestions!! Some aren't good for my waist line!! The banana bread us delicious!!! Love that there's only 50g of sugar. Just showed me how sweet raisins and bananas actually are. Everything is long eaten so next time I'll make double for the freezer!! Thanks to you all for replying

Glad it went down well, it never lasts here either!

Woodbrook80

Emmadilema123 wrote: »

I did too but this little one is very snug. My baby is tiny and it's fine for her! Do you have a bouncer? I can post a pic of it?

Yeah I do got it off someone thanks

Woodbrook80

Me again thinking of buying a baby carrier/sling any recommendations or ones to stay away from