I have quite firm feelings about this subject, all beautifully articulated in Andrea’s most recent post, so I won’t write anything here, as there’s not much more to add!  Go read it .

On a more down note - Mopsy has been going through an unpleasant phase of pinching Flopsy, and occassionally other children, really hard - nails and everything.  It’s been upsetting anyway, particularly when Flopsy has been so patient and has only just started to retaliate after a good few weeks of being attacked by her little sister, often for no reason, but occassionally just because Mopsy wants to nick her toy!  But this morning, at one of the BF support groups, she pinched two babies .  She’s been working her way up to this, I can see now, but it’s clearly her new speciality as this morning she was playing happily, got up, went over to a baby and pinched her cheek, then did it to another baby a bit later.  Luckily, although it was very painful for the babies, both were over 7m old, and second siblings themselves, so their mums understood, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I just can’t keep going to these groups until she’s grown out of it, in case she pinches some poor firstborn who is only very young, and who’s mum is going to be absolutely distraught!  I’m really, really upset about it, and just hope it doesn’t last so long she pinches the new baby.  It’s really hard as I’ve never been able to help feeling a little smug that Flopsy never went through a hurting-other-babies/children phase, but now I can totally understand how mortifying my friends who’s toddlers did go through that phase found it.  One of my friends had three children, and it was only her third that did it…I guess at least you know then it really is ‘just a phase’ and not to do with your hideous parenting skills, or lack of them!  If anyone has some positive stories to tell, please do…feeling a bit despondent at the prospect of being in ’solitary confinement’ for quite some time!

Oh, and just so this post isn’t totally negative about darling Mopsy - she really is lovely in every other way.  She was helping to wash the car this afternoon, and was concentrating so hard on scrubbing it - it was lovely to watch.  And when you spray her with water from the hose (which, let’s face it, is pretty irresistible when it’s scorching hot!), she does this sharp intake of breath every single time, really cute.  I love her to bits, she’s very affectionate still, and full of cuddles and kisses - must focus on the good bits, of which there are many!