# 12 Days to Intros - Countdown Plan



## SummerTilly (Aug 14, 2013)

Dear all

I'd really appreciate your thoughts / experiences as to what to do in the lead up to intros?  I have a lot still to do - fit car seat, check stroller fits in car, sort bedroom / bathroom etc

Just wondered how you prioritised, what you did to get ready and what wasn't necessary?

I can't speak to FC until 26th re what LO will come with so have to do my best in the absence of that information. 

Many thanks in advance
SummerTilly


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## Arrows (Nov 9, 2008)

ring your friends and ask them to come do a day of housework and getting everything ready. I'd also either cook up some meals to freeze and/or ask people to do it for you -you'll be too exhausted to do it once intros and placement start!


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

To add to the list make sure all your washing and ironing is up to date, maybe start buying some Christmas presents now, make sure you know how to put the pushchair up and down quickly and how to fit the raincover. Go to your local children's centre and get a what's on guide. See friends and family and enjoy sitting with your feet up with tea/wine and chocolate, it rarely happens for me these days!! And the obvious one, sleep!!


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## MummyElf (Apr 11, 2013)

I did quite a bit of 'nesting' before, sorting out cupboards, filling the freezer with meals for myself and LO etc. It turned out to be essential as we did much of the intros at our home so needed food for all of us, and will do again with little man in 3 weeks time. I got my house in as apple pie order as possible to minimise stress when she came home because I figured, rightly so, that sort outs would happen less easily once she arrived. I'd say now is the time to de-clutter because before you know it your house will be full of baby 'stuff'!

A tip toy wise - I have a wicker basket with some toys in the lounge - it looks nice, and it makes chucking everything in at the end of a day easy, you can even cover it with a folded blanket if you want to hide it come evening and make your lounge grown up again (which some days you will).

As others have said, just get as organised and up to date with stuff as you can now. Even getting washing folded is a mission sometimes with little hands constantly grabbing at every thing so there's no way you'll be wanting to be doing anything more complicated once she's home with you


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## SummerTilly (Aug 14, 2013)

Thank you you wonderful women  

Today I cleaned the car inside and out in preparation for getting the car seat in next weekend.

Am away on a foster to adopt course for the next two days and then link/matching panel on Wednesday!  Thursday and Friday I will cook up a storm for the freezer and am having friends over Sunday afternoon for some champagne and cleaning! 

Love the idea of the wicker basket to throw everything into.  I also have a trunk coffee table which can double as toy storage.  Need to double check that the stroller fits in the car - that's good advice!

Will make a washing and ironing date with myself next Monday so that by Monday evening everything will be ready and put away.  On-line Christmas shopping is also a great idea - that takes care of Saturday afternoon (hopefully they'll arrive Tuesday / Wednesday which will just give me time to wrap them and put them away before I head to intros on Thursday!).

Booking dogs in for a wash and a clip for Friday as well.  

Need to do a massive on-line shop once I know about nappies, bath products etc.  What is in your children's first aid kit?

Many thanks once again!

SummerTilly


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## Arrows (Nov 9, 2008)

First aid kit?! ;-)
We have a gel ice pack thing in the freezer, calpol, nurofen, teetha (if 0-3yrs) and plasters in the cupboard.
Buy hundred of wet wipes, nappies and cheap flannels for cleaning grubby faces after meals. Be careful about bath products unless you know they don't have eczema.
Get lots of snacks -raisins, organix healthy crisps are great and fruit pots wonderful. My Lo who is nearly 2 loves any fruit and peperami!


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## SummerTilly (Aug 14, 2013)

Thanks Arrows!  Am going to make a big list and when I have spoken with FC re brands etc next Saturday, I'll go shopping (or order on-line) and make sure I have everything to hand. 

Very excited now and incredibly nervous.  Feeling a bit strange about intros - what happens if she takes one look at me and goes waaaaaaah?

I have read tips about wearing chunky necklaces and taking a back seat until LO comes to me.  Bubbles are also a goer - any other advice for first meeting?

I have prepared my album and am working on the Tomy.


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## Wyxie (Apr 10, 2013)

Sleep, clean everything thoroughly, sleep some more, prepare food, get yourself some clothes that look presentable without being ironed, if you care about that sort of thing, sleep some more, find a place for keys, phone and wallet that's out of kiddie reach, and get used to keeping them in the same place, find places for things you need all the time, changing stuff and basic medicine, and have one set upstairs and one set down.  Sleep.  Clean, uninterrupted, and then sleep again.  Really, I can't stress the cleaning and sleeping thing enough.  I would give a considerable amount for a weekend to myself and all I want to do is sleep 10 hours a night uninterrupted, tbh I could manage 12 hours a night right now, I'm shattered, and get my house properly, truly, clean and tidy.

Oh, and work out where you're going to eat biscuits and chocolate without the kids realising what you're doing.  We have a U-shaped kitchen and the little bit at the back is perfect for this.  When Wyxling was first placed I was getting through half a pack of digestives some days!

Edited to add:  First meeting, I would take a helium balloon - I cannot recommend it enough.  We did with both ours (19 months and 10 months) and although we played very differently, it worked brilliantly for both.  If they're shy and don't want to come you can use it to play peekaboo for a bit, but sooner or later, any toddler will come to you for a balloon.


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## AoC (Oct 28, 2008)

What great advice!  All of that.  

I'd also do a bit of research about child-friendly places to take LO out on intros, when you get to take them out yourself.

Definitely echo the thing about having changing stuff upstairs and downstairs.  I also had an emergency nappy and wipes pack on my bedside table.  I found it helpful to have his oilatum and tooth brush/paste in double locations, too.

Pack a changing bag.  Include snacks and a bottle of water and a distraction toy/book/whatever.  Put something useful of yours in there, too - hand cream or rescue remedy or whatever you don't like to leave the house without.

Definitely balloon!


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## skyblu (Sep 9, 2010)

Fantastic advice from all, all I can add is buy a car seat storage thing that hangs on the back of driver/passenger seat. There are a lot of pockets on them and are great for storing emergency nappies/pull ups, wipes, dummies, snacks and drinks also the odd toy to keep them entertained. I was caught out once and was so glad I had supplies in the car or it would of been an expensive day..... nappies, leggings,socks and a top. Disaster 

Good luck and all the best.
Skyblu.xx


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## SummerTilly (Aug 14, 2013)

Fabulous advice!

When I get back from this course I am going to find my secret squirrel chocolate eating place Wyxie    

Stayed in a B&B overnight in between days of the course and thought I would get a lovely night's sleep.  Didn't bargain on Mr Phlem Cough and Splutter being in a room below me wracking all night  

On the bright side, someone else is cooking me breakfast this morning and I don't have to make the bed  

Matching panel tomorrow.... deeeep breaths and waterproof mascara.  Apparently the first question they ask is "Why do you think you're the right parent for this child?"  Well, there's a blub fest right there.  Am thinking of taking flash cards so I don't need to speak  

Have a great day all xxx


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## AoC (Oct 28, 2008)

Good luck, Summer!    Our reply to that question (their version was, "why this child?") amounted to, "we don't know.  We just knew."  We thought it was stupid, but they loved it.  It's true, too.


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## Anjelissa (Jan 11, 2007)

Hi SummerTilly,

Lots of great advice already given 

Two things from me....
1.) SLEEP (already mentioned I know, but no one could have prepared myself or dh for how exhausting intros and early placement are).  
2.) If they ask anything similar to 'why do you think you are the right parents for this lo?', don't worry about getting emotional. I held it together until that point and then had to do the whole 'girly flappy hands in front of face' thing   to distract me from blubbing!  
I didn't want to get like that in there, and I did actually managed to hold it together but it's usually dh who gets emotional, so it came up on me by surprise!   
They were lovely though and all smiled and 'awwwwwed' so it will only show how much you care if that happens 

Lots of luck,

Anj x


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## SummerTilly (Aug 14, 2013)

Thanks Anj

Am a notorious 'happy' crier.... lots of waterproof mascara on hand


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## skyblu (Sep 9, 2010)

When we were asked "why do you think this child is for you" dh turned round and said  " well I can tell you all that you want to hear but we just new from her profile that she was for us and when we saw her picture we fell more in love with her  ( by now I have tears in my eyes and trying to hold it together so is our Sw) and then he finishes off by saying " what I really want to know is for you tell us why YOU think she is the right child for us" To which we never got an answer, they just laughed. I could of killed him for saying that, but we got through unscathed.

Good luck

Skyblu.xxxx


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## SummerTilly (Aug 14, 2013)

Skyblu - Love it!  

I agree with your DH - they put us through the wringer, but they're the ones that have supposedly matched us and then they're asking the questions.  My SW told me that they had some questions come through re the match last week and the answers were all IN THE REPORT!

Why don't they bother to read them after all the effort that goes into it?

On another note, am just about to abandon doing the Tomy album as I can't get it to work - the good old fashioned traditional one will do. 

Feeling a bit bolshie this morning. Not entirely sure that's a good thing.  Hey ho.  Off we go!


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## Smudgey (Mar 13, 2012)

Good luck huni ! Xx


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