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Baby name hell

July 18, 2011 Mother M / Parenting
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I consider myself quite lucky with names – we managed with great ease to find the names of our first two children, but now with number three on the way I have absolutely no idea what we’re going to call them.

It doesn’t help that my husband refuses to engage in the name game, he just doesn’t seem to like talking about it. This is something I have a problem comprehending. Surely this is one of the most fun things in the world to do? Well apparently not, because he hates it. I’m under strict instructions not to mention names until we find out the sex of the baby. That’s 10 weeks away for goodness sake, what am I going to do until then?

Well my friends, I’m going to ground. In those 10 weeks I shall ruminate, cogitate and secretly deliberate all the names I possibly can with anyone (and I mean anyone) who will listen. Then, 2 minutes after leaving the scan room, I will present my dearly beloved with a list of suitable and carefully selected names.

The only flaw in this seemingly flawless plan is that he probably won’t like anything on the list.

For a boy, he wants something like Jack (good, solid, butch) that is less popular and for a girl he wants something that isn’t odd. This may not sound like much on the criteria front but if you’re very conservative with a deeply hidden quirky side like my husband, then most names are either too weird or too dull. This basically rules out all names.

So should I simply put my foot down and demand compliance or just trust that in good time the right name will come? Obviously neither, I’ll persist in trying to slip in the odd cheeky suggestion and just hope he doesn’t notice. Whoever said that good communication is the key to a successful marriage was wrong, sneaky trickery wins hands down every time.

Dealing with wasp stings

July 18, 2011 Parenting
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WaspI was heart broken to see Mathilde’s reaction to the wasp which stung her on her foot.  A rude interruption of pain whilst quietly looking at a book. Luckily, I have a strange element of calm when something like this happens and after settling and comforting her, I waited to see if we were going to find out if our beloved daughter was allergic to bee or wasp stings – luckily for us she isn’t! A dose of Piriton and the promise of a treat soon had her up and about again. She still remembers her “waps” sting 3 years later!

The time is upon us again when the summer days bring food and drink outside which attracts the inevitable wasp invasion. Here are 5 ways to deal with a sting.

1- Keep calm. Bee and wasp stings are painful but are rarely harmful. It’s quite a shock for both the child and the parent, but it’s good to remain calm so as not to frighten the poor little mite any further. Whilst I do not advocate animal cruelty, the wasp should get what it deserves for harming your little angel and a swift swat and splat should reassure your little one that the “naughty wasp” will not be back!

2- Hold it high. Raise the affected part of the body high and, if you can, apply an icepack to reduce swelling. Seek medical advice if the symptoms persist and immediate attention if your child shows signs of breathing difficulties.

3- Find the sting. A bee will leave it’s sting behind and then then fly off to die for it’s sins. Scrape the sting off sideways with your nail. Don’t use tweezers as there is the chance you will inject more of the poison into the wound and therefore cause more pain – your little one wont appreciate this.

4- Be Aware. The summer eating activities attract wasps – lollies and ice cream and your beer at the local pub garden table will all smell delicious to the annoying fellows. Wear shoes out doors. A tube of antisan or something similar for when you are about and about wouldn’t go amiss.

5- Take emergancy action – a sting to the throat or mouth- even for a child that is not allergic, can sometimes cause swelling and block the airways. Give your child an ice cube to suck or some very cold water. Any signs of swelling or breathing difficulties should action a 999 call.