susyp

sounds like an allergy or intolerance - have you tried taking her off dairy completely? my daughter also has this with cows milk allergy & soya intolerance. She was always bright in the day but the exact symptoms you describe below. She wasn't constipated either - it was trapped wind and tummy ache with both - the cows milk allergy made her vomit but she has quite a strong allergy. Soya intolerance exactly as you describe above but that was when she was having soya yoghurts - not sure you;d be exposed enough generally to get a reaction like you have had. I'd put money on cows milk allergy especially as you say she had tummy upset after actual cows milk - lots of people on this forum have children with this so no doubt you'll get some other advice. susypx btw - your GP should have suggested this. Ask for a referral asap (you may need to go private initialy). GPs are hopeless at allergy/intolerance stuff. a 1 yaer old should not need infacol - there will be something else going on.

Yes I saw that story which is why i am a bit concerned. except what i think happened is that they didn't pay the fine on principle and so were taken to court. I've already asked for the leave so can't go down the tummy bug route, although surely this legislation is just leading people to do this! anyway, just trying to work out if i get fined, whether to make it a big deal etc or just accept that's the way it works. Although, from what i can work out, the head refers you to the authorities to get fined so the head could just say no and leave it at that. In the end i suspect making a big fuss would only affect my daughter negatively and it would probably just be most sensible to accept it - even if it seems unfair? cheers Susypx

i've booked a holiday in term time to celebrate being 5 years cancer free - next month is when i'll get all-clear. as you can imagine, we've been through the mill the past few years, and this is a major milestone as reaching the 5 year point dramatically reduces the odds of it coming back. I wrote last week to my head to ask for authorised leave as extraordinary circumstances - not heard back yet - just wondered if i was right in thinking these were exceptional circumstances? Can't find anything on net about what are exceptional circumstances. I've said we don't plan to take her out again. If it's at head's discretion - does this sound a reasonable request? I appreciate it's all about me rather than my daughter but she's not been immune to the stress of the past 5 years - we've all been through this together. susypx

My advice would be to go and visit sutton and w park before looking at houses online etc. very different to east dulwich and I think would be huge culture shock to move from one to the other. Ham in Richmond is fairly affordable for london and in between kingston and Richmond . Near river etc and good schools too Susypx

I went through the same thing when my daughter was 4 and did have the chat- resulting In her refusing to have a school photo taken as it was a strange Man. I worry about it all the time but have to recognise I am simply neurotic. I don't really mention it to her now but she knows she has to stay in my sight - even in parks etc when her friends run off round the corner and their parents don't mind she knows I do. So it has worked even if I dd handle it badly and she is still friendly to people in playgrounds etc. Once she is at secondary school and walking herself I think is the time for the proper chat. Susypx

i went in and saw one of the assistant heads, who was lovely, and made me feel like wasn't going mad- he said if i had asked for her books to be changed each time then they should be, regardless of whether my daughter follows the system or not, and he would make sure that was understood. And that was that. I used your analogy of teethbrushing :-) . We will also get books from the library but what was annoying was being told I was wrong every time i spoke to the teacher about this being their responsibility not my daughter's. I don't particularly intend to have any more dialogue with her as i get really wound up every time and life is too short!. Happy that I feel confident again with the school generally though which was the main issue. susypx

yes good idea i think we'll start using library books. i was getting "reading books" but it was hard ot get the right level and they were too long. but i guess she can read anything really , it's just the principle of reading regularly that i want her to maintain, which is hard to do with no books - the good thing about school books is that she sees them as hers to read , the ones we have at home she is used to us reading to her. but we'll probably implement a new way of doing it from tomorrow that she picks some from the library for her to read and some for us to read. It's going to be easier than constantly fighting the school. I've asked to see the head to make my points about the reading (last year she was on too low level and when i made a fuss about it last september with new teacher - she jumped 5 levels!) , so it's generally a problem in her school i think. I feel that they are holding her back, which is completely insane. Plus her teacher is completely impossible to have any dialogue with which is not particularly nice. susypx

it can take my daughter an hour to eat her food just because she is so distracted by things on the table / chatting. she is very unlikely to remember to change her books on regular basis. and they don't let parents go to the classroom with them although i could ask to if this carries on. i agree with you Mrs TP - you can ask them to do things but it is still an adult responsibility. just had an almost argument with the TA and am just simmering down while i decide whether to go and see the head or at least have another chat with the head of lower school who is at least friendly unlike my child's teacher?! apparently it's the way they do it she said if she can't do it now she'll never be ready for year 2 - it's the main thing they have to learn in year 1. I said no the main thing is to learn to read and write. and feel bad as then i said goodbye to my daughter in the midst of this argument so it's a horrible way to leave her (although i know she'll forget it immediately she sees her friends). right just rang school and head of ks1 is off today and then i am at work 4 days next week and would rather see in person - do i try and see the head or is is this really something i should keep to ks1 and not bother the head with? seems a small thing but it's really wound me up becuase of the attitude that it's not the teacher's responsibility. susypx

just wanted to compare notes - my daughter is in year 1 and only gets new reading books if she remembers to put her books in the box to be changed. She's 5, not 6 umtil July, and although I know she should do it she very rarely does which means we are not getting new reading books regularly. I have spoken to the teacher, and been dismissed that this is the way they do it - then spoke to infant head - who then spoke to teacher who reminded them more regularly and we got new books for a while - but today she hasn't got one and her friend has and she said she didn't put her books in the box again. I am thinking I will just start handing the books to the teaching assistant the day after they haven't been changed and asking for a new book quite firmly. If this doesn't work I'm going to have to go and see the head which seems a bit dramatic for something so basic. just wondered what other schools do. Her teacher said it was all part of taking responsibility for their belongings and was really quite dismissive but it doesn't seem right that her reading could slip because she can be a bit away with the fairies about remembering things? thanks susypx

i am sure you do this when it's not wet but i definitely found it helped with mine to "run" her as much as possible - the more running she did - the less tantrums there were! but this weather is the pits. susypx

terrible 2s started for mine at 21 months precisely. She was ok at 3 though, when many of her peers were throwing wobbles - they had all been ok at 2. hopefully you only get one or the other! 2 was pretty bad though! susypx

with my daughter i got a private appointment to find out what it was and be tested and then went back into the nhs system from then on - i've done that in the past with a cancer check also (in the days before the 2 weeks deadline we have now). so it hasn't ended up costing a huge amount. my daughter is allergic and my mum has chronic intolerances so you have my absolute sympathy. my daughter had a skin prick test but where i live now they do blood tests and screen you for a range of things i believe - i haven't taken her for years as we've had enough mistaken exposures for me to know she is still allergic! susypx

UNO is a big hit. And guess who .

i've asked a friend's nanny - who already looks after my friends 2 children and takes them to school - to take my daughter also from 8.20-9am- ie basically walk her to school with the other 2 - she'll be all ready to go and we'll drop her at their house. I've offered ?5 a day for this (on top of what they pay her )- is that fair? i've basically offered what we would pay at breakfast club (which is full) . susypx

My daughter is 5 1/2 and still in pull ups for weeing at night and I expect she will at least 6 before she stops needing them. She had a major issue with pooing when she started school and we had to use movicol to make her, but what really seemed to help was inventing a poo fairy, so she got money under her pillow every night when she had done a poo in the day. Given that I assume he might be close to experiencing the tooth fairy this Might me worth a try? Also I put her on a big Potty in front of the telly and then the poo just came out. The Eric site is really good and gave me this idea. Good luck, its horrible I know Susypx Also slightly weird thought but My daughter and her friends are obsessed currently with poo jokes so you could even encourage this to make the whole thing a bit less serious?

Here's a moo free chocolate advent calendar for all of those dairy /soya allergic little ones! http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009H89QQK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A33P1LXG5VP2OJ

hi all i currently work 3 days a week and i have 3 hours of commuting a day. I like my job but it has no prospects really, which is fine for now, but not sure how i will feel about it when my 5 year old munchkin is bigger. it costs me ?12-15 a day depending on the route i take (cheaper route takes even longer) . at the moment i leave at 7am and get back between 630/7, not too bad but i do find the travelling a bit exhausting. i'm applying for a job which is only a ten min bus ride away, it's less pro rata but is FT , and obviously much less travel costs. nothing to say i will get it but i meet the criteria so hoping i will get an interview. We do need the extra money. And it would lead to a proper career in the long term. now i don't mind working ft if it is nearby as i would be able to have breakfast and dinner with the munchkin each day. potentially i would imagine i oculd juggle hours to pick her up from school one day a week. I also like the idea of being nearer for emergencies/sudden sickness etc. What gets me is missing the school holidays and i would probably only really do it, in the mad world in which i might get it - if i could do a 4 day week. how does everyone manage the holidays? I absolutely LOVE going for days out with her and even working 3 days a week i found last summer a bit sad that i wasn't able to just hang out all the time. sounds really spoilt but i only have the one and she is growing up fast. Is one day off in every holiday week enough? I would get 4 weeks leave a year. Do I just have to make the most of weekends? When they get older are they just keen to go and play around their friends houses anyway during school hols? just wondering how working parents feel if they are working full time or even 4 days week and if i would be mad to give up a 3 day a week job even with the immense commute? as you can see, i have too much pondering time on my hands today. better get on with the application - would be a luxury of course to have this dilemma in reality given today's jobs climate! susypx

Not sure the mid week one is that cheap now, my one expired last month and I argued and even cancelled for a while but ended up paying 6 pounds odd for it as just couldn't face going to the shops instead. Am I wrong? Susypx

Well, thanks to the EDF, i questioned the fees and he immediately backed down without me having to put any pressure on at all. hurrah, I am slightly less poor this month! susypx

Yes i will try that, thank you. Susypx

No he didn't mention VAT or any follow up work. I didn't sign anything. Should I just challenge him in the first instance or go through the firms complaints process straight off? Not bothered so much about v at as the additional charges . Susyp

Sorry typos using phone!

Just wondered if anyone could advise. I consulted a solicitor 2 weeks ago. I had 30 mins of advice - I was told the rate was 235 an hour, and so I expected a bill of half that. I subsequently received an ema Summary if advice, with several inaccuracies as to what I had told him, and now a bill Of ?335- for 30 mums plus 40 Mins writing attendance record and email To me recording advice- at no point was this part mentioned not that I would be billed for it. I am assuming since it is a solicitor there is no point arguing, but I feel completely done over. This is a huge sum for me and I can't pay it for 2 weeks- I can't see anything on the bill About when to pay it except immediately. I am planning to email him stating my unhappiness and explaining i will pay him in a fortnight and tht I hope no late fee will be charged. Susyp

it depends on your work of course, but i manage to go for a swim at lunchtimes - i can do 20 mins and be back in an hour or 30 mins and take an extra ten mins and tap it on to the end or the start of the day. there is a chain of the healthclub i belong to ten mins walk from my work. i find if i do 20 mins i really go for it rather than taking ages like i would at home. susypx

my husband actually said to me last night - ooh we get an extra hours lie in tomorrow . Then I reminded him, no, it was just an extra long day to contend with. how can it not even be lunchtime yet! we've already had to have two breakfasts! susypx