ryedalema

Can anyone else not wait for the clocks to go forwards? My two aren't sleeping past 5.45 now - even with the black out blinds! Apart from that - bring on Summer! Yeyyyyyyyyyy!

Ha ha - I have REALLY saggy boobs and a wobbly tummy that my eldest daughter loves commenting on... 'Mummy, why does your tummy fold??' But MY BODY is AMAZING!! :)-D

Ah - we have all of these too. She's pretty good at remembering them too (sends us into the naughty corner if we contravene them - little Madam)!

I'm struggling with this one. Our eldest daughter is 3.75 (4 in July) and is on the whole quite well behaved. Part of this could be down to a lot of legwork by us in providing structure, things like: - always having dinner together and she can't have anything sweet until she's finished her mains - not eating with mouth full/playing at the table etc. - not going downstairs in the morning until dressed - tidy your toys away - share with your sister - shoes and coats off as soon as you get home etc. How many rules is too many rules for a three (ish) year old? I really don't want to stifle her free spirit - and am anxious that we're getting a bit strict. The ones we're having difficulty with right now are: - getting dressed by yourself (always ends up in running around in the nuddy until I catch her and then tears) - staying in bed until the clock goes green (which happens at 6.30) - she creeps into our bed at 6am ish and if we send her back to her bed she cries and wakes up her baby sister. I've just had a loooonng chat with my OH about this (who is much more the disciplinarian than me). We're thinking of addressing these last two in consultation with her, so asking her what she thinks would be a fair waking up time and what she can do if she wakes up early (she's allowed to read or play with dolls in her own bed at the moment), and asking her what she finds hard about getting dressed (I think tights over toes and tops over heads are the key ones here). Is she too young to be involved in her own rule setting? Does anyone have any better ideas? Are we expecting too much of her? I'd really appreciate your advice/help. xxxxx

You've had a horrid experience. We've never experienced it in the playground but have in nursery. One 3.5 girl (who isn't there any more) picked up our 1 year old and threw her to the floor. I'm afraid I did shout at her but also told the teachers that I'd shouted at her and to watch out for repeat behaviour. It must be much worse when you don't know the child/parents. Please don't let it stop your enjoyment. It's them who are at fault - not you xx

Mmmmmm - I love this website. Have spent rather too much on this site in the last year. Warning - hide the credit card before you browse ;-)

Littlest madam likes to take a chunk out of my teeth, ear, nose, finger at any opportunity. You see her coming at you with a gooey baby mouth full of slime, half grown teeth and intent....it's like jaws coming at you.. de...der...de...der..de..de.de..de.de.derrrrrrr!!

I agree with Belle - the 'I'm not your friend any more' or fibbing are much worse in my book. Don't get me wrong - swearing gets disciplined (including my husband and myself!) and I try very hard not to do it in front of the girls (not even in the car). But swearing is delicious when no impressionable person is around! ^%*^%*$!"?!$!!! Btw - my parents very non-sweary and I had a very strict upbringing/schooling. Perhaps that along with my very corporate/pc jobs has made it a tempting 'sin'. >:D:D<

There are fairies in Brenchley Gardens - our daughter found them this weekend! :))

Oh dear - hope my daughter doesn't see it (not that she can read yet). She totally believes in unicorns, fairies etc so I'll never hear the end of it.

Yep we went to both ballet classes. We found the Herne Hill one v. strict. There are separate doors at the front and back of the school to enter and exit the building for example, and big slapped wrists for the parents who infringe (so I found to my cost :-S). The one at Harris is v. cute - small classes and very relaxed. Maegan is a lovely teacher with them too.

Our precocious 3.5 year old girl is getting bored of football and wants to do ballet. Part of me feels that the ballet we've attended to date has been really strict (or at difficult times for us), so I was wondering about gymnastics. I loved getting my baga badges when I was a kid - and am just teaching madam forward rolls, splits, headstands and the like (btw they hurt when you are 30 -odd years older!) Does anyone know anywhere local where you can do gymnastics??

Like Pickle my OH is Antipodean and swearing is second nature to him. My eldest daughter sat through a meal time at the weekend repeatedly muttering 'Oh my gawd...for crying out loud'. Snot is also called boogers in our house, so we regularly hear 'I'm boogered....I'm boogered'. Trouble is I LOVE swearing - must be me trying to break free from pc-worthy jobs where everything is a sin. Now madam is saying 'Oh my giddy aunt'. She won't get ribbed when we move to Aus - much!!>:D<

Yummmm - my favourite too, and now the whole family is hooked. Definitely soaked the night before (but in milk), then with chopped dates (already chopped from Sainsbo's), honey and/or cinnamon. And we get the food doctor oats which has some other bits in like Quinoa (good for girlies), linseed etc.. I cook up a huge bowl which gets shared amongst all, first thing. I've learned not to get dressed before it's eaten. The number of times I've been unwittingly smeared with gooey oats from a 14 month old's fingers while dressed in freshly ironed office gear...sigh...so professional.

Could you get by with a single buggy and a sling, esp. as the little one is so (well) little? We've managed this way with our new born (now 14 months) and 2.5 year old (now 3.5) until our smallest was a year old at least. Just a thought...

Have you got one of those belly brace thingies? They look like some straps of V STURDY elastic with velcro that you secure under bump and over bump - thereby (i think) redistributing the load around the body more. It was a G*d send for me, who managed to get sciatica too (ow ow ow). Mine was made by 3M (so pretty darn industrial!) and I got it at Mothercare at Purley way. (I've already given it to a needy friend otherwise I'd wing it your way). They are ?35 and a v good investment!

Oh well done - and a home birth too! I hope these next few weeks/months/years are gorgeous. A lovely time to have a new bubs, just as the days are getting lighter...ahhh... walks in the park....

And on the plus side - you get to have loads more in utero photos!!

Hi Yak - I had small for dates scans and all was completely fine (but I know you don't want to talk outcomes). I asked: - does a low birth weight affect my birth plan in any way? - does a low birth weight affect his/her post natal care in any way? - does a low birth weight affect his/her growth/development in any way? I got no's for both. As for process - it's exactly the same as a normal scan. Good luck...xxx

We've just been afflicted. Yep - chlorophenical. Got given the option of ointment or drops. We plumped for ointment as it stays in longer (and have become an expert in administration). It cleared up in two days - and it's not like antibiotics when you have to finish the course. Phew - glad that one's over (for now).

Ruth and Fuschia - ewwwww. Thankfully not me (this time) but when we last went to Peckham Pulse Hydro pool we walked past a Mum frantically showering very runny poo from her baby's bottom (actually total lower half). I only hope she got out of the pool in time x

Hi Kateland - I've been past many many times (the girls are at nursery just behind Sainsburys), but the age range is a bit old I think. They are 3.5 and 14 months - and while the eldest is BEGGING me to let her go - isn't your equipment for older kids? I'd love to be proved wrong here btw !!! xx

kateland Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > Is there a need for this in our community? > Why is there a need for this? > Would your children use the Garden? > Would you like to get involved in a project like > this? > > 1. Yes 2. I think the more places where kids can get involved with nature the better. Not so much the local playgrounds (although they are fab for different reasons) but places like Dulwich woods where they can see actual living things in a real ecosystem is, I think, amazing and magical. I was forever foraging in the dirt when little, and playing with butterflies (nicely - not pulling their wings off) and I-spy with those nature watch books. Not many places we can do that around here. Our back garden's not bad (it backs onto the cemetery) but postage stamp sized. I'd love our girls to run around and discover knooks and crannies in a garden like that - perhaps find some more fairies;-) 3. Yes... 4. Def!

Btw - segment on This Morning in a mo about half term activities...

How old are they..and boys/girls? Sporty?Crafty?Fashiony?Sciency? etc etc