Tag: rural family life

  • Nursery Day Four: Friends, Food and the Nap Problem

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    Four days in and Mr has already made a friend, eaten independently and used the potty at nursery. The afternoon nap, however, is going to take some working out. The wins first Yesterday was Mr’s first day on the official list – eating lunch with the group rather than sandwiches from home. My partner did…

  • First Days at Nursery with Down Syndrome: It Went Well

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    We have had two mornings of settling in. The first days at nursery with Down syndrome went better than I dared to hope. Here is what happened. Who Mr is, going in Mr is two years and nine months old and he has Down syndrome. He is daytime nappy-free. He is learning to dress and…

  • Starting Nursery with Down Syndrome: Our Plan

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    The nursery director called. Mr is expected next week to start settling in. First, all three children need to stop being snotty. The call we have been waiting for Starting nursery with Down syndrome is a milestone I have been thinking about for months, and now it is actually happening. The director called to say…

  • Potty Training Win, First Illness and a Brilliant Big Sister

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    Eleven days in and something clicked. Here is how we finally got our potty training win with a two-year-old with Down syndrome – and everything else that happened alongside it. How the first attempt went A few months ago we tried potty training Mr for the first time. He is two years old and has…

  • Childminders Are Lifesavers: Potty Training and Survival

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    We are on our second childminder and I mean it when I say childminders are lifesavers. Here is what our days actually look like right now. Two childminders, two very different seasons The first came after my third c-section – two months of not being allowed to lift anything heavier than B, not even Mr,…

  • When Plans Fall Apart: Parenting Without Control

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    I am not someone who handles change well. Parenthood has not cured this. It has simply meant that I have had to tolerate more of it than I ever expected. A list of things that did not go as planned Mr is two years old and has Down syndrome. We had been waiting over three…

  • Autumn as a Family of Five: Beautiful Chaos

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    Autumn as a family of five is intense in its own particular way. The harder months are still ahead. Here is where we are right now. The nap that will not happen The biggest challenge right now is Mr’s daytime sleep. He is two years old, has Down syndrome, and clearly still needs a nap…

  • Our First Summer as a Family of Five: Real Life Update

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    Our first summer as a family of five has been intense. Here is an honest snapshot of what our days actually look like as it draws to a close. How mornings begin Mr wakes first, somewhere between six and seven. B usually follows immediately – though having nursed through the night, he is not hungry…

  • Family Events with Three Kids: Our Summer in Review

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    We have been a family of five for three months now. Here is what family events with three children actually looks like – the proud moments, the logistics, and why we keep doing it anyway. The lesson we learned at the first event Our first large family event with three kids this summer was a…

  • A Typical Day with Three Kids: Our Summer Routine

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    People sometimes ask what our days look like. Here is the honest answer – a typical day with three kids from the first night feed to the last bedtime song, and everything in between with our 4-year-old daughter, 2-year-old son with Down syndrome and 2-month-old baby son. How we sleep My partner sleeps in the…