susyp

Hi all - following on my post on another thread about how to get calcium into a dairy allergic child - we have just noticed that our daughter (nearly 5 ) could be calcium deficient. She has two white spots on her face - had one for ages and another one has just appeared. She also has very dry, sore arms - she has never had eczema and although the school think it is that I am not convinced as it is just dry skin rather than a rash - as long as i moisturise it regularly it is more or less ok. We just thought we'd look up white spots and amongst all the awful things it could be - i read it is a sign of calcium deficiency. So we looked up how much she should be having - 800mg- she has a small glass of calcium fortified oj in the morning, a cup of oatmilk after school, some small pieces of broccoli daily - half a bottle of neocate and cheerios for breakfast. That doesn't come to 800mg - more like 500mg if we are lucky. And that has been for years now. The problem is if we give her more oj or more oatmilk (which she will only drink with nesquik mixed in) she has having a huge amount of sugar - and we have history of dental problems in our family. Boots do a chewable calcium + vit d tablet - not sure how much of the rda it is but was planning to get and start giving her that in replacement for her haribo ones which are multivits. Does that sound sensible. Will it just recover levels or is there something we need to do as I would think it's been 2-3 years of deficiency now. any advice much appreciated we will ask to see a dietitian but waiting list bound to be a few months Susypx

oh that's good then! thanks saffron! susypx

on measuring out neocate active - i divide one sachet into two using the tommee tippee milk containers you can get - half a sachet makes up 120-150ml milk - i mix it up in a baby bottle - my daughter has it on her cereal in the morning. then we give her calcium enriched oat milk when she gets in from school - she won't drink it straight off (although its fine - i have it on my cereal now!) - but we mix it with that chocolate nesquick you can get - it's full of sugar but also has vitamins and i figure it is more important to get the milk into her than worry about the sugar. Just wanted to get her on to another milk as I am aware that now she is nearly 5 the neocate could be withdrawn - but my argument is currently that we only use one sachet every 2 days so it's not a big deal for the surgery. She also has broccoli every day. no idea if that is enough calcium but it is the best we can do at the moment. we got a neocate cook book but it wasn't really any use. we also use oatley cream and the milk in cooking for her - just recently - so she has been enjoying a parsley sauce with her fish keep meaning to give her sardines in a pasta sauce - she might eat it and it would be good for her calcium wise i try and give her lamb once a week for the iron. she won't eat beans currently which is annoying. and she used to have egg every day in her sandwiches but now will only eat it at weekends if i either force her or cook scrambled eggs with smoked salmon! she will eat ham omlette sometimes. however i have recently worked out i was anaemoic and the iron supplement i take explains how you shouldn't take it with calcium so i'll have to remember not to give her lamb with broccoli - so complicated! oh and we also make our own bread and sometimes add oatmilk to it also sorry keep thinking of more things and editing - and she has soya intolerance which i am sure lots of others have - we found she was ok with normal bread but then we tried making her own - and noticed that she wasn't breaking wind as much (which was a lot - esp at the end of the day - which was a bit embarrassing at playdates although other children find it hilarious). Now we only do our own bread - no wind although she still gets burps at night that she needs a bit of help with sometimes at about 10pm - i've never not burped her since she was born! susypx

My daughter is nearly 5 and on the next neonate on - I think they are supposed to have a different one after a year. Your gp sounds very unhelpful. Can you see one of the partners at the practice? Susypx

there was a thread about this a while back and i can't remember why but there was definitely some safety hazard with them. i promised my daughter one last year, when we finally get around to ditching our monstrosity of a garage - i thought she had forgotten but she mentioned it again at the weekend. so think we might go for that and a swing. i used to spend hours on our swing when i was little. definitely want a trampoline i can bounce on as well. 8ft one ok for that then? susypx

Hi are you open on Sundays?

3 bad tummy bugs in 2 months while going about 3 times a week, we stopped going and the bugs completely stopped - and they said lots of people had done the same thing. Little hands, in mouths, on the mats, back on the mats again, back in the mouths again! Just not possible to keep those places completely germ free. That winter we just went to playgrounds and avoided other children, we'd had enough of it all! Was that 1-2 age - seems quite a germ prone age! susypx

i'm going to get up early (madness i know) just so i can watch grown up tv with my breakfast like i used to and not peppa pig . oh the radicalism of it. missing her terribly though :-( susypx

hubby and daughter have gone away to see his family for a few days - i'm working. First time alone in the house since she was born! I told my colleague at work expecting to get sympathy for my loneliness but he was just - YOU HAVE THE HOUSE TO YOURSELF! what should i be doing. so far, I've been for a swim, loaded the dishwasher with some of the chaos that was left in their departure (more of that later too), watched revenge. feel like i should be running naked around the house or something . ideas?!! what I shall enjoy is a LONG sleep with NO INTERRUPTIONS. As well as not creeping around the house in the morning when i get up to go to work! Tempted to call in sick to make the most of it all , but better not... susypx

i liked the toddler classes as they gave me a structure, and weren't too big and manic like some of the drop ins can be (i like them too though!) . I think they had a big effect on how much i enjoyed looking after my daughter. Gymboree in particular (in a different area) was an absolutely life saver for me as I had very active toddler - although I had to suspend it over the winter as she got so many tummy bugs from all the soft mats. I didn;t really meet people or chat but it was just nice to be around other people, and I loved watching how my daughter responded to everything. I think it made my days very varied to be doing several classes - I did gymboree, a music class, and later a balls class and a couple of arty ones. Around here they have messy church sessions which are arty sessions - I've never been as I didn;t see them til recently but they sound quite a good fun thing to do also - not sure if there are any in E Dulwich. Once she got to 2/3 years old we frequented lots of playgrounds - at least one a day !!! basically i used to do things morning and afternoon. It kept me sane to plan out my week! (but I'm a bit like that!)> susypx also just my opinion but i thought gymboree was miles better than tumble tots - gymboree is fun and relaxed and you get play sessions, but tumble tots is very structured and they can't just do what they want which my daughter was absolutely not up for as a toddler!!

Ah, where I have been going wrong, so clearly explained!!!! That last one made me chuckle - don't invite the other mum in for a cup of tea - had i not done that the other week- the little darling wouldn't have drawn on all my walls (we're still finding "evidence"). I like the 2 a month suggestion. Now THAT I can work with. It's all the other mums having 2 or 3 week that are doing it all wrong then, not me. ;-) I left my daughter at her best friend's last week as I had a hospital appointment - was several hours - when I turned up the other mum said she had got lots of chores done as they had played so beautifully, even with the friend's little sister - and there they were, wrapped up on the sofa watching madagascar 3, arms round eachother. What more could you ask for when you pick your child up from a playdate!! thanks wm! susypx

I grew up without a car and I have to say it was quite a pain, especially as I got older, I had to rely on friend's parents for lifts. But then again I was a bit of a brat as a teenager so maybe there would have been other ways had I been more flexible!. Was very very happy to get my first car though! All those walks up the hill from the supermarket, hours on the train back from holiday. arg. Susypx

Hi pebbles, I agree, they are normally pretty fair about these things, the court office would probably be able to advise you I did it once and it was great as they kept going into recess so i could go home! Was interesting too, but maybe better when you can enjoy it properly rather than having nightmares with childcare! susypx

Hi all, I no longer live in E Dulwich, and Ive never been there with my 4 year old. So tomorrow I am going to take her on a little journey there - we'll visit the Horniman Museum (packed tomorrow?!), have lunch out - maybe visit Peckham Rye Park - is there anything else I should do while we're there - I never looked at it from a parent's eyes so be interested to know what we can do. It could be the future of our weekends as I don't think it is actually that far a drive - we live in SW London/Surrey now. Feeling very happy at the prospect of visiting the Horniman Museum, I moved to Forest Hill immediately after a terrible break up from a long term partner and definitely the Horniman Museum and grounds was a brilliant place to go to just feel at peace and happy!! Was actually prompted to do this by visiting the thread on here about the Horniman Museum! susypx

yes congratulations so brilliant you have come through such an awful time stronger than ever! susypx

the other parents have offered to pay for a decorator, but we've already done one coat and i think it will be ok in the main. and the little angel apparently missed out on a playdate today as punishment. And we got a sorry for painting on your walls card from the child as well this morning - now THAT will be coming out in a few years time !! susypx and yes working mummy that's what's so annoying about it - my daughter was so excited as we have been a bit crap on the playdate front - and it all just went wrong! she is at one today which is a return one from last week (which went very well) so really crossing my fingers and hoping all will be ok when i go and pick her up in a minute!!

we have now taken the decision not to buy any new furniture for a few years - our sofas are in a terrible state but i hadn't quite clocked that it wasn't just your own child that could ruin your stuff - but their friends! yes keane indeed it is blue biro so thanks for warning it will take a few coats! we ended up having not only beer but also a curry last night to drown our sorrows so all in all a bit of an expensive disaster (yummy though!) susypx

ok, so we just had a playdate with a friend's child. when friend came to pick up said child - she came in for a cuppa while the girls played upstairs. at one point my daughter came and got me and showed me a little drawing her friend had done on the walL - WHOLE HOUSE IS FRESHLY DECORATED ! I let that go. Then when they went i shut the door and turned around and realised the entire hallway had been drawn on. I called my friend back. My daughter said none of it had been her. Went round entire house and every room except the one us adults had been in had scribbles on the wall. Obviously I was pretty shocked, and mad. Other child said they both did it, my daughter said she didn;t do any of it - other child called her a liar. Anyway, i texted my friend in the end to say was pretty sure my daughter hadnt done it - she replied saying i was right - she had got the truth out of her daughter (well she did say my daughter did the little drawing but it;s not her style so pretty convinced wasn;t her- but at least most of the truth was told!). not posting for any reason except to say AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. its so annoying. I know kids do this. but i am so mad and i need to let it out before the school run tomorrow so it's gone! Most annoyed about her calling my daughter a liar. time for a glass of wine me thinks. susypx

we've had that, my daughter is older so more easily bribed but I basically hold out a sweet and she takes the medicine and then puts the sweet in her mouth immediately afterwards! Has had to have it a school though and they just give her water. As Claire29 says, it does get easier as they get older and understand the concept of bribery! susypx

I've been thinking about this thread. And I see the moral of the story as being - s**T can happen to you , totally out of your control ,and actually things can turn around for you just as quickly :-) Surely a good lesson for anyone? susypx

Whereas I normally agree with everything working mummy posts , on this one I am with pickle. My daughter was a complete tomboy until aged 3 she found Snow White and now I defy anyone to have a more princess obsessed child! And I mean obsessed. I am surprised but I love that it gives her a fantasy world to retreat to. I wish I had one! She likes the dresses and the hair and the balls, not so much the princes. She wears a princess dress constantly at home. And recently she has even succeeded In getting me out of my standard stripy top and jeans Combo mum outfit by being so excited when I wore a dress that I immediately went out and got some more! And yes, she was rapunzel for world book day. She is very bolshy and got in trouble last week for whacking a boy who called her a name ! I wasn't remotely into princesses when a child but was very shy and submissive. I really don't feel that they take gender lessons from the books as much as from life. I work, my husband looks after her in the week. No gender stereotype there and I'm proud that I have returned to work, I was proud to be at home too ! Susyp

Oh...sigh.... we're back here again - last 2 days has been very uncomfortable but not on scale of last week . Having 2 teaspoons of easifig a day, and 2 sachets of movicol half - the school nurse suggested today we up it to 3 sachets so going to try that tomorrow. It's really telling on her now - she looks very peaky and tired and is super grumpy! want to try swimming at the weekend as i could imagine that getting things a bit more sorted but a bit concerned about doing it while she is taking laxatives ! So will have to see how it goes this week. i've got some flaxseed coming, we make our own bread so going to try and put it in there - she's having to put up with proper brown bread too rather than the half and half we normally make to keep her happy! Eating carrots, apples, broccoli - even a banana a day which she detests. Just bought a load of grapes which someone told me are good cos of the skin ( she won't eat apple skin). any ideas? help! susypx

oh thank goodness i looked at some websites and read about how they have to sit on the toilet for 15-20 mins and have their knees higher than their hips - so dug the old potty out - put the telly on - sat next to her and encouraged her to sit and breathe through the pain - took a few attempts but in the end the position meant she had no choice and the biggest thing I have ever seen came out of her. Poor love she had gone completely white with the pain - then she just lay on the sofa looking relieved. A good nights sleep tonight after 3 nights of hell. It hurt when she broke wind earlier after wards so clearly all very sore inside. We have lots of movicol left so i think the advice is is to continue with it to give her bowel a chance to contract again and also to get her over the fear. Harder with a 2 year hello sailor- a friend of mine with same age kid said she put her finger in and dug it out but that seems a little extreme - hope she gets sorted out soon. going to see the school nurse on monday as this simply can't go on - we had the autumn term with 3x urinery infections as she wouldnt wee at school - now seems ok with that but the poo thing is a problem now - i cant beleive she got told off for taking too long. Absolutely no support for her at all - i know they have to grow up but i can't have her ocnstantly having toileting issues - she had no problems at all before starting school. It was absolutely awful the past few days as she has been in so much pain. She screamed the house down when it was coming out but i was just so excited it was coming! (remind anyone of anything!) susypx

just bumping this as on day 5 of what seems to be chronic (and first case of) constipation of my 4.5 year old . she is in pretty bad pain. yesterday we went to the doctor and got some movicol - and i also got fig syrup - so 2 teaspoons of fig syrup yesterday and today, one sachet of movicol half yesterday, 2 today, and it is not budging. She was up most of last night in pain. Have tried massaging her with some warm wet cotton wool while she pushes. tried it on potty watching tv. she is really in such a lot of pain. it's all been brought on by holding it at school and after being told off for taking too long , the first time she went after months of holding it. suffice to say i shall be having words on monday. I think i need to see the school nurse too if nothing hapens this weekend as she will def need helping sorting herself out if it finally lets rip in the week. But would really like to clear it this weekend. any ideas? susypx

today, my daughter told me friend had said that when a baby comes out it makes you cut and bleed ! susyp