srisky

My 2.5y loves imaginary play and mimicking adults so perhaps things like toy kitchen with utensil (ikea ones are on special offer at the moment and are great); tea set; buggy with doll etc (a firm favourite; dressing up clothes/ doctor's kit. Other favourites include megabloks, scooter, balance bike (our daughter doesn't have one but they look great). Good luck, I hope you find something that suits!

Pink - Aerosmith

We have the Exodus make, so far no problems and has good reviews. Much much cheaper than Thule and our contents survived the recent downpours - I'm not sure how the contents would get wet, as the lid overlaps the base, unless the product is defective. Halfords often have a half price sale on roof boxes (incl. Exodus and Thule) so don't pay full price unless you need it asap.

A while ago the hostel on Barry Rd was in need of baby things, I'll post a link to the thread with contact details once I find it. Here it is: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,1112153,1135334#msg-1135334

How old are your grandchildren? If old enough to understand and explain to another adult, you could write emergency contact numbers etc on a small piece of card, attach it to a belt loop or something similar with some yarn and instruct them to show it a responsible adult if they get lost. Probably wouldn't work for a child under 4y.

Paste

I'm new to all this but you could try these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pampers-Mats-Compact-Packs-Total/dp/B003P2UU7I We use them under the cot sheet for our baby and under the bed sheet for our toddler (although they are meant to go on top, I think). They haven't been tested yet but we use smaller versions on our changing mat, which our baby has wee-d on numerous times and they are very absorbent.

Apologies if I misunderstood, MrsAk, I was referring to a full size adult single. I bow to the superior knowledge of those in the know when it comes to children's beds.

Ditto all the previous posts. Too sleepy to think of something original to say but it is much appreciated, especially as sometimes (often) I wonder if I should be coping better & doing more!

simonethebeaver Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I thought a staycation was when you stayed at home > but took time off normal life and did touristy > things. Aren't you just talking about a holiday? http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/staycation

I don't think there is anything specific you need to look for. The only thing I can think of is that some bed guards are tricky to use on beds that have wooden slats...I may have misremembered that, though! I think the quality of the mattress is more important, which will have an impact on comfort and sleep,and that can be bought separately once you find a suitable bed. My daughter sleeps in the same bed her dad used from the age of 9 to 23(!), fwiw it's a divan type with underbed drawers and we use the wooden BabyDan bed guard.

Thanks, Sarah, they look lovely! We must get better organised so we can make the most of UK, as it has everything for a young family without the hassle of airports...if we could only predict the weather!

ratty

Talkshow host - Radiohead

Do you perhaps give her too many options? This may be overwhelming when tired and may add to your (and her) woes. Maybe instead of asking her to choose her pyjamas out of however many she has, pick out 2 sets yourself and ask her which one she would like to wear;do the same for books. I'm not saying this will solve the problem but may help a little. I usually find giving them limited options in a variety of situations makes both parent and toddler feel like they have some control, e.g.: - 'would you like to wear this pair of shorts or this pair of leggings?' (rather than 'what would you like to wear?' and they end up choosing a woolly jumper for 30deg weather); - or 'do you want pasta or rice for supper?' (rather than 'what would like for supper?' and being met with the response 'chips'...cue tantrums and battle of wills!). Mind you, it doesn't always work! Apologies if you are doing this already or I am stating the obvious! I hope you get to the bottom of it soon.

Thanks, oaurvey, going to book mark this page for our next staycation, as it looks ideal. We ended up going to the Cotswolds - we hired a 5 bed house, took my parents, MIL, SIL and her 3y old daughter. It was great (suprisingly), as there were 3 grandparents on hand to entertain, prep meals and babysit one, both or all kids (which they loved); the toddlers entertained each other and we were able to nap! There was an onsite pool, farms nearby and Cirencester is very close. All within a 2.5h drive from home, bonus :)

http://m.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/southern

> With him being the youngest I'm kind of > over naps though - days are now much easier and > flexible! I agree! So nice to be able to do things at the weekend and be out all day without worrying about naps. However, I relish the time when I'm on my own with both and they nap at the same time, gives me a chance to eat and rest! Btw, my daughter is no angel...all sorts of fake injuries occur when I'm putting her brother to bed, followed by a huge tantrum when I ask to talk [whinge] quietly!

Ah, I see...it doesn't occur to my daughter to get out of bed (bless) except in the morning when the gro clock says it's ok. Some nap times she just plays with her cuddly toys in bed and I have to reprimand them for disturbing her nap time and then stroke her eyes shut, she drifts off after about 5-10min. She's at a bizarre stage where she can nap for 2h or can go without a nap, regardless of how energetic her day has been. My friend's 4 and 1yr old share a bed (not sure if it is a double or single) and they all sleep much better for it. The elder one used to get into their bed constantly during the night, had night terrors etc. but it has all settled since; the latter is probably partly or wholly age related. Quite like the idea of my two doing the same but not sure how you eventually get them into their own beds!

Why does a move to the bed often signal the end of naps? Had I heard this I may not have moved my daughter for fear of it coming true! I'm also interested as my son is proving to be quiet different from her, so this may be the case for him!

Just to add, if it wasn't for the arrival #2, our daughter would almost definitely still be in a cot!

Ours moved just before she turned 23 months and was fine, taking just one night to adjust to the change. She still naps during the day and doesn't escape at night! The main reason we did it so early was that we were expecting #2 who would need the cot after a few months. We didn't want to buy a second cot but equally didn't want our daughter to undergo too many changes after the arrival of a new sibling, least of all the sibling taking something that was hers! The bed itself, is an adult single and had been in her room from the beginning, so prior to her moving in we started to refer to it as her bed. We then bought a new duvet cover set for her and made it all seem very exciting. After a couple of weeks in a bed we dismantled her cot and she didn't even notice it was gone. 6 months down the line the cot is in use again for #2 and she has completely forgotten it was once hers. I think it all depends on the personality of your child. Our daughter is fairly compliant and has quite a good understanding of things, we are able to explain and negotiate with her. Also, she is not a daredevil type so has never tried to escape from her cot, which helped. However, she has a strong sense of ownership so would have been very upset if we tried to make the change after her brother was born; she's not thrilled about her buggy being used by him and even doesn't like it if I use my husband's phone or vice versa! Maybe a gradual introduction to the bed would help if you decide to go with the change e.g start reading bedtime stories there, change into night clothes on the bed, duvet with favourite characters etc. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Thanks everyone for your input. I spoke with the manager and my daughter's key worker and they are happy to keep her in knickers during the day and use pull-ups for naps. We only use pull-ups for overnight but I am fine with the compromise, as they can still be referred to as her 'bed-time pants'. Potty training is going fine, usually one wee accident a day, although none today - hoorah! - and she has long stopped asking for stickers for her reward chart after each wee/poo. As a bonus, she now says (very loudly) "clever mummy, you did a wee, well done!", whenever she come into the loos with me! Incidentally, our nursery is a daycare nursery, taking children from 4 months-ish, so potty training is very much part of their role.

Sorry, I haven't read all the posts, but here's my 2p worth... ...babies tend to nap 1-1.5h hours from when they last woke, so look out for very early signs of tiredness around this time and put them straight for a nap; ...develop a sleep time routine, e.g sing the same nursery rhyme before you put them down. Eventually, they'll learn the association. You can do this from day 1. You can use a more elaborate one for bedtime proper e.g. bath, massage, feed, nursery rhyme. In my personal experience, it was only around 3 months that a defined bedtime time developed. Good luck!

Subterranean homesick alien - radiohead