This is MP3Monster's blog. The blog covers music, technology, photography and anything else Monster considers worthy of blogging about.Amazon gets a baby
Posted by monster in new Daddy
It appears that Amazon - have opened a new shop for Baby clothes, toys etc - visit Baby Amazon
Should my children enjoy my taste in music?
Posted by monster in new Daddy
Any parent, who also happens to be a music fan is or has probably been pondering the question Graeme Thomson tussles with in the Guardian blog (Guardian Unlimited: Arts blog - music: Should my kids enjoy my taste in music?) - specifically how do you educate your children in good music?
Graeme, doesn’t arrive at an answer. I did wonder if there is any credence in taking a similar approach that us brits are stereotyped as using with non in English speakers - just talking more slowly and loudly. But a friend of mine with two youngsters seems to be having a degree of success - his wife doesn’t get a look in on what gets played on the HiFi, and he has for as long as I’ve known him tried to educate her tastes. Oh, and music is always playing so the children haven’t really had a chance or need to find anything else musically - although they haven’t yet reached their teens yet, so there is still time for it to all go wrong.
FQ Magazine: Parenting Magazine for fathers , new dads and single dads
Posted by monster in new Daddy
For the new daddies - graduating from FHM. Still has has and gadgets and great competitions.
Link to FQ Magazine: Parenting Magazine for fathers , new dads and single dads
Trick to help control Jnr’s impact on gadget budget
Posted by monster in new Daddy
There a raft full of tricks that you can do to help minimise the impact of junior on the gadget budget. But without compromising on quality or quantity (or in woman speak how to get more) it seems that signing up to various parenting clubs run by different brands and shops can help ease the bills, at the price of a bit of junk mail. The precious little ones site has a link to some, but it is far from complete. I know we use (that is to say Mrs Monster):
- Tesco
- Boot
- Pampers
- Early Learning Centre
These clubs normally mean you’ll receive samples and or vouchers for the products that they’re trying to sell. The good things about the likes of Boots and Tesco’s is as they sell multiple brands you’ll get your vouchers for all the brands.
Shopping for Jnr
Posted by monster in new Daddy
I’ve been asked about places for shopping for baby stuff. So from my experience I thought I’d highlight the stores we’ve used.
- Mothercare - good for the basic everyday items that you’ll need (bibs, bootles etc). But when we looked at furniture was very disappointed, for example with a cot when I leaned against it as if to reach in found the side flexing - found that experience very discouraging compared at alternatives.
- Mamas & Papas - the Next of the baby world. That is to say above your basics - nicely made products a little pricier but not outrageous. Back to the cot experience we found that their cots are a lot more robust than Mothercare (flex test) but a lot more solid. We also liked their prams - they appear to be pretty solid and integrate well with care seat etc.
- JoJo Maman Babe - the trendy end of the market, they have some nice clothes - but nivce prices as well.
- John Lewis - as a department store they seems to have a good range of stuff particularly when looking at things outside the major purchases (prams, cots).
- Tesco - silly as it sounds for stuff like baby grows and vests - they’re priced cheaply its almost unbelievable. But the price doesn’t mean poor product. Given to start with you’re replacing the wardrobe every three months to start with these can’t go wrong. Our only complaint is that the stocking of these can be a little erratic. For a supermarket at the lower ends of the spectrum they also stock some of the better branded bay stuff such as Avent and Tommy Tippee.
- Early Learning Centre - a good source of more developmental and educational toys. I have to admit I originally thought great an execuse to go into ToysRUs and have a play on a regular basis, but for baby and toddler toys we’ve found it rather disappointing.
Obviously these are our preferences any everyone is different.
advice to prospective parents
Posted by monster in new Daddy
A number of friends and colleague have recently discovered that they’re going to be parents for the first time. Now, I’m not one for dishing out advice left right and centre, after all each parent and bambino are different. But from our experience, there is one thing we did I’d recommend to anyone who cares to listen. That was to join the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) and attend their antenatal classes.
I’ve read mixed feedback (from a male perspective) on the value of classes going from excellent to a bit too touchy feely. But in my mind the crucial benefit was the opportunity to develop a network of friends going through the same experience who you can talk to, share the experience and seek support from. Although from my perspective the network is more about knowing some other fathers who can chat down the pub over a beer. But for Mrs Monster it has been invaluable, getting support and social contact that I can’t give, particularly during those early weeks and months when I’m back at work and she is having to do a lot of the work (i.e. feeding every four hours).
I believe that we (Mrs Monster particularly) now have some new friends that I think we’ll be in contact with for a long time to come.
New Mummy & Daddy Books
Posted by monster in Books, new Daddy
Given that a number of friends are expecting their first or just had their first baby I thought I’d share the reading that we’ve found useful.
There are dozens of books out there for the expectant mum, which go into the mechanical detail of pregnancy and child birth - a little daunting for the first time father, who really just need a rough guide as to what to expect. I read two books, both relatively light hearted and full if male humour worth reading. Firstly Jon Smith’s - The Bloke’s Guide to Pregnancy, this was probably the better of the two addressing the basics to pregnancy and both the bloke’s likely reactions as well as the expectant Mum’s, along with Marcus Berkmann’s - Fatherhood: The Truth which looked a bit further on from the pregnancy and arrival of junior. Jon smith incidentally also has his own website (go here).
Once the baby has arrived - then what can you use book wise? Well there is Satan herself - Gina Ford. People’s reactions to her books are very polarized. The problem is that her books are very prescriptive mapping out your day from the time you get up until the time you go to bed and if you slavishly followed it you’d never escape the house. From our perspective we used it to simply get an idea for a when we tried to develop a daily routine with our little one.
For the bigger picture over the first year we’ve used the first ‘What to Expect’ book, although probably not an essential read it is certainly a good book to look at in small doses.
For when the little one starts solids we found Annabel Karmel’s New Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner really good. The title sounds more pompous than the book is. It suggests meals and provides easy cooking instructions, so even a no hoper in the kitchen like me can cook up baby food rather than resort to expensive bottles.
