Taking baby to other peoples houses

I worry what other people think as well - however, it really does help if the people you are going to have children of their own. They seem to understand better.

My first baba loved her sling, so I could bundle her up next to my chest and enjoy the night with friends - when she wakes, she'll sit up and when tired, she would lie down in the sling and sleep. Number two is less forgiving on my social life and does not like outing or the sling. So we usually go to friends with children.

We usually take a camper cot and monitor with - I keep to babies routine as much as possible. It helps keep them calm. I feed and bath normal time and then take him to a room away from the people when tired to settle, feed and put baby to sleep. I have my monitor with me, so it puts me at ease once baby is asleep and I get to enjoy the eve while I know my boy is save and sleeping.

This usually keeps you busy for the first part of the evening, however, it does leave you free to relax and enjoy grown-up conversation later on.

Do phone before hand and find out if she would mind you using a spare room and if you can bath your little one there.

Can I complain here? Sorry, nothing to do with the actual subject.

I am one of those people who leave when it's bedtime or WAAAYYY past naptime because my LG just doesn't settle. If we go out till 10 or 11 she will stay awake and be miz until she's back home in her own environment and fall asleep within seconds.

I'd rather leave her with my parents to go out and enjoy myself or just stay home because I know if we take her along we are both going to be frazzled by the end of the evening and wouldn't enjoy ourselves.

That they do. Oh I had parenting down pat before I had Dylan. No wonder my friends used to laugh at me.

I guess my own child will change me.

See i dont mind if the parent is responsible enough to tell the kid not to do this and that, then i dont have to.

But most parents will just look at the child and expect you to say something then next time they will say to the child "Dont do that Aunt Ntoko will beat you" now you are the baddie.

Luckily I don't like clutter and breakable objects so we don't have much but our sound system is fairly decent and I would have no problem telling a kid not to touch it if his parent didn't.

I must say our friends have nice kids and we have had no hassles. Neil's nephew wrote all over the wall in charcoal. Needless to say he was given a bucket and cloth and it never happened again.

I actually like the kids coming as they keep Dylan busy.

I think when you have kids you also get a bit more relaxed about other people's kids.

I know before I had kids of my own, other people's kids would irritate me, now I realise that kids are kids - if you do not want them to touch the thing, just pick it up off the floor and put it where they can't reach and the stress goes away.

Age and procreation has made me a bit more easy going ... just a bit .... clearly have more work to do ....

Ntoko I hear you. I used to find myself focussing on what the child was touching when my friends brought their toddlers around. And I would get irritated that they weren't stopping them touching everything and it would be up to me alot of the time.

But since having a baby, when we go to friends, if someone offers to hold C for a while I'm quite happy to relax for a bit and hand over the responsibility. Anyone who is willing to help for a bit I will gladly accept their offer.

I think it's something that you only understand once you have a child of your own. This 24/7 business is exhausting!!