Gina Ford and Spongebob...An Unlikely Combination!

Well after all the drama of last week I hit Amazon hard!

A lot of friends recommended the 'Contented Baby Guide' by Gina Ford, so I thought it was worth checking out.

Forgot that I went a bit mad, they were only £3 each (2nd hand)

So far has arrived: Mums on Babies, Contented Baby guide to Weaning, From Contented Baby to Confident Person, Contented Baby Guide to Potty Training (perhaps 4 months is a bit early!)

I also remember ordering, the 'Contented Little Baby Book' AND the 'New Contented Little Baby Book'

They've not yet arrived.

So I perused the weaning book and the confidence book, and essentially they both say the same things, as I'm sure will the other 2 when they arrive, so if you need one, just buy the guide, it covers everything!

I've heard a lot of opinions on Gina Ford, there's a huge split a lot for and an equal amount against her advice.

The thing that interested me the most was that she doesn't have children. She's looked after 300 of other peoples. But is that the same? Is that enough experience to tell a parent how to raise their own child?!

However then I flaw my own arguement. I'm an avid Supernanny fan, but she doesn't have children either.

So I read the books anyways, and a lot of it the OH and I do through instinct, there was some handy peices of advice, maybe only 2 bits per book.

So if you are struggling, perhaps get the book, but just get it from the library.

I'd personally keep the 'Mums on Babies' one handy. Its a book with general advice, written quite humourously (there's a new one just called 'Babies' by the same authors) but it also has snippets from mums, using the authors website http://www.mumsnet.com/ I got the 'Babies' one a few weeks after I'd given birth, it made everything seem normal and more manageable, it had me crying laughing at some parts (links are in the Amazon recommended box over there somewhere ------->)

I found it more helpful to gather lots of information from a variety of people, people I knew, recommended authors, my gut, the internet and then come to a decision using them all!

So time for my Spongebob debate;

Sadly the Pro's and Cons still balance out.

Con:
I was SHOCKED! Spongebob was singing a song about FUN, so he decided to spell it out, Verse 1 and 2 F stands for Friendship, correct. Verse 1 U stands for You, bad, Verse 2 U stands for Ukulele, correct.
Verse 1 N stands for Anywhere, Verse 2 Anyone....!? WHAT IS HE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN?!

Text talk that's what.

Awful.

Pro:
Upon using the above arguement with The Daughter she informed me that in one episode he learns how to tie his shoelaces, which would in turn teach the viewer how to do it.
I'm yet to witness this, but for now he has the benefit of the doubt!

Bet Gina Ford would be shocked too!

I've also been dithering whether to go a bit further into the mums after effects of giving birth, the more, er, physical effects. Step too far or do you think it should be shared?!

And the Next Milestone is....and Spongebob related issues!

Ta Daaaaa!

Toby can sit unsupported!

Age for this milestone, 18 weeks and 3 days. Clever boy!

Well after the horrendous nights of last week, T astounded us by sleeping 8 - 6:30am on Sunday night!

Awesome.

He woke at half 4 this morning.

But his sleep's getting longer and less disturbed, so my next recommendation is a Gro-Bag!

Keeps them lovely and snug without having to worry about suffocation!

The only other development has been that T now has a new addiction, he cries when it's gone if only for a second, will stop eating for it, squeals with excitement for the whole time he can see it. The addiction?:

At first I was pleased as it's more watchable than some of the kids programmes, but now I teeter between completely engrossed and pig sick of it.

Nickelodean is showing it from 7am - 5pm. There's no excuse!

The OH has taken to recording them should we ever (shock horror) not be able to find it on the telly and T need his fix.

The Daughter (17) is also a fan, so I can quite happily leave them both to it to sit and watch and giggle and squeal together, whilst I go and get on with more pressing issues.

However whilst doing whatever I escape from the telly to do, I can feel the urge to hum getting stronger and stronger, then it randomly bursts out " whooooooooo, who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS" which gets worse as that's the only part I know and I just repeat the line over and over again.

On my viewing of Spongebob I've come up with the pros and cons of allowing him to watch it, should his life become influenced by it.

Pros:

Spongebob has a great work ethic, he loves his job and merrily skips off to work each day.
Spongebob is a very lovely person (sponge?), he's nice to everyone.

Cons:
Spongebobs a bit of an idiot, in one episode, the evil one (plancton) stole his squirrel friends skin and pretended to be her in order to get the secret receipe. Spongebob was completely oblivious to the fact that one of his supposed best friends had no eyes!

Spongebob is easily led. Another episode showed Spongebob and Patrick as they went to the 'carnival' which was in fact a collection of hooks from fisherman with pretty flies on them. Spongebob KNEW that he wasn't to go near them (Mr Krabb had told him how dangerous they were) and he went and played on them anyway cause Patrick said it was ok.

So I'm still wondering, will have to watch a few more before I make my decision!