There are many worries in life but non more so than having a child and the risks that come with them. Here are just some of the thoughts that terrify me on a daily basis:

• Routines – so many people drill into you that you need to be in a routine as soon as possible. I have two major worries here, the first is what if “little alien” doesn’t ever gets into a routine and the second is what if the routine doesn’t work for me. No sleep doesn’t suit anybody.
• Over Tiredness – this leads me onto the next worry I have.  If Gavin and I don’t get into a routine that suits both the baby and us, then there is the risk of falling asleep in bed with the baby next and then possibly rolling onto the baby and suffocating them.
• SIDs – although I have been assured there is a decrease in the amount of cot deaths  that happen in this country each year, it still terrifies me and is certainly at the forefront of all my worries. This is the reason I asked for a sensor mat to go under the cot mattress so I can monitor the babies breathing, if anything this will give me piece of mind.
• Discipline – I worry about knowing at what stage to start disciplining my own child and what steps to take, I fear more so that I may disagree with Gavin’s input. This could affect our relationship which I have been warned dwindles when there is a baby around anyway.
• Spoiling “little alien” – there is certainly a line that can be crossed easily when it comes to spoiling a child. Christmas and Birthdays are a worry of trying to establish what is enough but not too much.
• I hope that I am seen as being a good parent so that in the future when my baby becomes a teenager they wouldn’t want to disown me. I think this may just be a little too much to ask!
• Dropping – babies are small and look breakable, whilst concentrating on holding “little alien” correctly and making sure its neck is supported, there’s the added pressure of making sure you don’t drop the baby.
• Overheating – as we live in a grade one listed building, our house is either to warm in summer or to cold in winter. I’m hoping I can manage this through adding or removing blankets. If this doesn’t work I could always add a portable heater or adding a fan into the nursery.
• Money – as always, the majority of people worry if they will be able to give their child everything they desire and need. I sure hope I can!

Together with these worries, I have the added reservations of living on a farm and the dangers that surround this environment. Here are just a few that come to mind:

• Farm machinery – its not just tractors driving around and the driver not seeing the child that worries me, its also some of the other equipment that can be turned on from a simple click of a button but could cause serious damage.
• The animals – cats, dogs, sheep and cows in particular for us. All animals have a mind of their own and cannot be controlled. They can spook easily or can cause illness’ in people (e.g. being allergic or carrying a disease).
  

  

  
• Slurry pit – as a health and safety objective, all farms must put a barrier around their slurry stores. Some slurry pits are completely covered (e.g. in tanks), others are left open to the elements, with fencing around them. Ours is the latter, we have gates on one side of the slurry pit for when there is muck spreading needed to be completed. If an adult was to fall in, they would have trouble not to go under so the thought of a child accidentally falling in, terrifies me.
• Straw bales – I remember playing on bales of hay as a child and trying to get them to move. Never did I think that when the time came for me to be a parent I would be banning my child from playing on these in case they get trapped or squashed under one. I also worry about when they are stacked on top of each other and children climbing to the top.
• Running off or getting lost – there are plenty of places to hide on a farm especially where little people can’t be seen.  We have farm buildings, a wood and 300 acres of fields. To make it worse I have been told stories of when Gavin was young and went for a walk by himself. Maybe I should invest in trackers to add to “little aliens” clothing so I know where they are at all times!

I have recently read a blog about children growing up on a dairy farm and found it be an amusing read. The link is Ask Aunt Annie

Overall, I think its part of a parents job to worry, I think there would be something wrong if a parent didn’t worry all the time and I have been told its not just when they are young that you worry, its ALL the time.  After-all, its a big responsibility looking after somebody else’s life and making sure your doing everything correctly or at least trying to.  I do hope that all my worries don’t stop me from enjoying time with “little alien”.

Much love
Rebecca