Poor little Wendy!!

Poor little Wendy is having a rotten time with her teething. She has just cut two lower incisors. They are through the gums now but she is also cutting a top molar and she is very sore. She cries and cries and you can see that she is in pain as she stuffs her hands into her mouth and when she is cuddled, she snuggles in and tucks her head up and nestles it in your neck, crying all the time. Her parents give her the proper dose of paracetamol but it doesn't solve the pain problem completely. While it is working, she tries to play and be cheerful but it only lasts for a short while before she cries again. It is so unlike her, poor little thing!

Her parents have been living on cereal and sandwiches so they had dinner here tonight so I could take a turn in trying to comfort Wendy. I've told them that they really must sleep when she sleeps and not to worry about the housework. It will still be waiting for them when Wendy feels better and she is far more important. Nobody is going to come along and steal their dust.

I have offered to help because a crying baby can get on your nerves no matter how sorry you feel for them. It is quite a new thing that parents are left to cope with things like that on their own. In former times when people were born, married and died within a few miles, the extended family helped a lot so parents felt less pressured. We are lucky that our family is a close one and we are all willing to offer whatever help we can.