Tommee Tippee - The Arch Enemy

I've always been a firm believer in tending to babies' needs. I've even been accused of overindulging them in the past. There comes a point however, when a Mother just wants a good nights sleep and that point I might add, came many, many weeks ago for this here Premmy Mum.

But one- day-Hubby and doting Dad Stephen is unfortunately a bit of a softy when it comes to his little 'Miggle.' and when I see the two of them together, a few words spring to mind, largely 'Daddy', 'twist' and 'little finger.'

Our Smidge has become all too comfortable with those early morning trips down to the kitchen for a warmed up bottle of failed Mother.Meanwhile one-day-hubby and doting dad Stephen has been getting less and less sleep as the months have worn on.

It is at this point, that many parents decide to introduce a transitional object to comfort their child such as a dummy or an old rag, but as my big girl is now a whole year old, I decided that at this stage a dummy would be a mammoth step backwards. Instead decided to introduce an object of hatred, an 'uncomforter,' so to speak.

It works on all the same principles as a comforter except it has the opposite effect, they don't want to carry it around with them and they definitely don't want to take it to bed.

So the first night that Smidge awoke for that totally unnecessary trip to the kitchen for bot -bot, Mummy popped up with a wonderful surprise, Tommee tippee, filled with the especially cooled boiled tap water.

I sat her up in her cot and passed her the delights of my wisdom which she proceeded to tip down her baby grow.

After scrambling around in the dark with the worst designed baby grow in the world, I popped up the buttons and represented the tommee tippee cup.

Well that was the final straw! She was furious! Da-da-da-da-da-! She babbled frantically , the most cross I've ever heard her. And when that didn't work it was buh-buh-buh-buh!! between shrieks.

So, I layed her back down and she continued to bawl while Stephen, under strict instructions to not get up, lay with his head under the pillow to block out the noise.

Every five minutes or so, I would give Smidge a bit of the old 'containment holding' for reassurance and offer her again the cooled boiled water which she would push out of her way with a frown and disapproving look.

In her own good time she eventually dropped off to sleep (or I did) and by morning she loved me once more.

When on the second and third nights her cries were met with more of the same, she finally realised that trips to the kitchen were no more and she has slept right trough for the last few nights.

But has she been traumatised for want of a little boundary setting? Have I undone all the hard work of nurturing and bonding with her? Not at all, She does however hate Tommee Tippee.