I just wanted to ask about your experiences with your children and people with new babies? Now my 2 girls are mostly well behaved and extremely helpful my sister has just had a new baby and shes being really really over the top * well I think so this is why im asking* not sure if im being overly sensitive, my sister has always let my girls do what they like basically as they have their own toys there she didnt have any children etc now whenever we go round she shouts no dont do this dont do that dont touch youll wake the baby etc and keeps complaingin that they are walking germs! I mean babies need to come into contact with some germs or else they will get no immunity and its not like my kids roll around in dirt or whatever you know how they get when they are drawing or painging etc, anyway just wanted to know of your experiences or if im just being way over the top lol hope your all well xxx

Heya Nicki hun,

I totally agree with everything Jules has said, my sister is a lot like yours, to the point where weareactually worried that her oldest child who is 4 might have an obsessive compulsive disorder to do with dirt, anytime she gets even this smallest speck of dirt on her she gags and freaks out, we have tried talking to my sister about it but she doesn't see that there is a problem, however my kids love dirt, in the summer we take them to the local beach and when the tide is out we go mud running we all end up with mud upto our armpits and it's so much fun, my kids are hardly ever ill and yet her 2 are always coming down with cold and what not.

Also we made the mistake with our firstborn of keeping everything quiet and she now wakes if a gnat farts 200 miles away, however with our boys we carried on as normal we played music and did the hoovering etc and they will sleep through a tornado.

I don't think you are being over the top at all hun, however your sister is but she has to make her own mistakes and eventually she will see that she has made a rod for her own back.

Take care
Leitia xx

your sister is being far too prescious. Germs are good for you, without them you don't build up an immunity and well if she thinks your children are walking germs wait until she takes her baby to mother and toddler groups or nursery!!! I think if she doesn't loosen up then she will end up with a very sickly child on her hands.

I also think that not allowing noise in the house while baby is asleep is a really bad idea, baby slept in the womb regardless of what was going on on the outside so its not really any different. My mam (bless her) in her wisdom thought the house should be deathly quiet while we as babies slept, I have 2 brothers and a sister and guess what, all of us have spent our lives being bad sleepers, we all wake at the lightest of noises and are all unable to sleep with any noise around us. I can't even get to sleep if OH has the TV on downstairs - I need total silence - thanks mam!!!

I think she is making two very big mistakes, try talking to her and telling her of your concerns. Re: the germ thing, I have a dog and a horse and my baby will be exposed to all of the germs they carry (although as animals go they are as clean as they get) from birth, I have read into this and it is scientifically proven that children born into homes with well cared for pets have better immune systems and are generally healthier than children who aren't.

xx

You agree mum said I was being overly sensitive and its just cause shes a new mum which I can understand but I suppose ive never been like that with mine as you said ive made as much white noise as possible and my 2 will sleep through anything, I didnt know that about the pets though I have a dog and 2 cats and they are well as clean as animals go I suppose and my 2 roll around with them and they dont usually get ill very often, think maybe ill just have to not take them round there as much anymore until she settles herself a bit, shes even banned her daughter * who is I think 2 weeks old* form having any form of chocolate biscuits crisps etc even tho they eat it themselves poor mite shell hate coming round here choky is my best bargaining tool especially at the mo with potty training lol