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We have a young lady from Nottingham called Claire as our Nanny. Her main work is to look after Cameron and Jennifer during the day. Claire is very much loved by the children and shows much patience with them. We have found that we are finally starting to get our patience back. The stress of the last couple of years has hit both of us hard and we both have difficulties at times keeping our cool. Jennifer and Cameron seem to be quite bright and are boding well to give us a real run-around when they are older (more than they do now? - Ed).
Claire also looks after Robert between the times
his school bus arrives home at about 3:45pm and when one or the
other of us get home, generally around 4:30pm. Claire stays around
until 6:00pm to help with the preparation of food and feeding
of the kids. Now that Cameron is older it is much more possible
to look after all three children with only one adult at mealtimes,
though not something to be attempted every day. Robert is still
completely dependant on someone to feed him at meals. He will
very occasionally put food in his mouth but more usually just
casts it overboard. As he tends to clear a table of everything
within arms reach we have devised a "high-chair" from
a gas-lift office chair with a slide-on Stuart-made table (locked
in place with bungies). Because it is on 5 sets of wheels he cannot
upset it on the lino floor with his rocking. We are finding that
as he gets older and further and further removed from his abilities
compared with his size we are having to become more inventive
in terms of coming up with the "baby" things that are
a better match to his abilities.
Stuart Dalziel ,
last page update: 1 January, 1997