Ruth_Baldock

Mr B used to mind, but I told him he could get home for bath/milk/story bed (starting at 6pm) or he could lump it. Considering he gets back at 1am sometimes (after a particuarly difficult day editing wise), I think it's a bit much for him to expect me to keep Cheeky S up to see him. We didn't used to have a routine at all, S co-slept with us and would be up aaalllll evening until we went to sleep, so he'd always see him when he eventually got home. Nowadays, when he comes home and S is in bed, he'll go and say goodnight to him (S is normally asleep- I don't let Mr B go into his room unless I'm sure he's asleep as S just gets over-excited and riled up).

Oh, how I laugh! GP appointment? Takes about three weeks to see mine. All sorted with forumites help, and also a chance phonecall from my MW team where I said 'This is all greek to me'.

Post- dates appointment didn't go well, to say the least, and I have a file full of explanations and notes I still don't understand. Would someone be able to translate? via PM, obviously as they concern Lady Things. As always, Kings brilliant. My midwifery team on the other hand? Utter crap.

Big mothercare on Old Kent Rd, or Tommys on rye lane? Maclaren triumph or mothercare urbanite are the best lightweight strollers IMO. Urbantite fully reclines too. John lewis in Oxford street? Easy, if not long, journey on the 12.

7pm, without question. On holiday, mr b struggled to get him to go to sleep before 10pm but he still woke up dead early, which meant for a few days after they got back, we got a couple of 15hr nights from him. Utter. Bliss.

Zeban, if I am perfectly, totally honest I think I would say that I wasn't really emotionally ready to have my son. My husband certainly was, if you CAN be ready of course, and made no secret about wanting babies ASAP. I was ready for pregnancy, that was lovely really, but actual parenting? Nope. It was a short, sharp shock and took me about a year to get into the swing of things. I suppose the same could be for someone who planned down to the day when to have children, though, because you never know what to expect, and nothing anyone can say or do can 100% prepare you. I think you can know when it is certainly NOT the right time to have children, but the knowing if it is the 'right' time is very tricky. I know that probably makes no sense at all written down, but I know what I mean ;) OP, me and Mr B are dying to know what happened?!

HH, never a truer word spoken. The same as there never being a "right" time to have children.

Zeban, there is a gargantuan difference in having child psycholgy qualifications and actually having children. I have both too and the latter is a much tougher learning curve. Obviously.

HH, I had been worrying about my eldest running off when his sister arrives, what if were at the park and I have to bf her or whatever, and what would I do, but your sticker idea is ingenius. I will be doing this for sure, he's a right escape artist- has opened our front door before whilst calling "bye! Seb go!" and once ran off in Westfield with my husband. Argh. Fuschia, that would upset me too. I think you did the right thing.

Yep- we worked it out, as we don't have a trip computer, but my husband is a bit obsessive about working things out like that, even has a spreadsheet (lord help me...). We've done over 16,000 miles in the two years we've had it (lots of long trips, the one in question was from SE5 to Edinburgh and back) and it's consistently been great. However, husband is a bit of a tyrant when it comes to fuel economy- no AC on or windows open. Scrooge.

LOL Otta, my Mum did that once! Next doors kids throwing a fit in the garden, Mum couldn't stand the noise and asked Kid why he was shouting, he said "My mum won't give me a chocolate biscuit" so my mum gave him three Jaffa cakes. Nice. Neighbours still not fans of her, but makes me laugh still.

However if you are going to approach them, I'd go with claireclaire's suggestion and mention the noise issue rather than anything else as I think it's the angle which is least accusatory...

Without wanting to turn this into a massive debate, there is a big difference between what you consider "lazy parenting" and actual abuse- I think smacking kids is actually classed as abuse now, but may be way off mark. FWIW, I have definitely put my screaming toddler in his room for 5mins or so to hash out his tantrum whilst I get my head together- we don't have a garden but I'd probably release him there too for a scream/run around if I could.

I've never had a problem with them but my husband said they were appalling when he went in with our son- he was running about a bit and making a bit of noise (not crying just general happy toddler shrieking) and apparently a waitress just shut both of the doors to the playroom presumably so he wouldn't bother them (only my husband and one other person in the cafe). Such a shame, it's a fantastic space and so well located...

Nah I didn't give up my seat- someone else did. If I was on my own I probably would have done (wimp) but I draw the line at standing up with Seb on my hip. No way Jose.

Saffron&BST: just another one of my adventures on the 12! we'd not been able to get on the previous 3 as full with prams, when the fourth came along I thought "feck this" and got on the front, asked the driver to hold in for a bit whilst I collapsed the maclaren and threw it on the luggage bit the front, told him I was getting off at St giles church and he promised to stop for longer so I could put buggy back up and deposit infant in it. S was on my knee being very good, pointing at things out of the window and someone got on wanting a seat (had crutches and all other seats occupied by right elderly folk or Rude Buggers pretending to look at phones) and asked me first. Apparently you can't tell I'm 40wks pg!!! I didn't move and bus driver had a word over tannoy. Still fuming though.

I'd have pointed out that they were just little kids, it was a packed moving bus, and that he had a seat now anyway! However, I'm still bitter about being shooed out of a seat yesterday, at 40wks pg, with an 18mo balanced on my knee. Oh, don't rush to give up your seats anyone else, that's fine. Grr.

Little h, I did start it and I've been looking for it, but mum/pregnancy brain is turning up no results :( will have a proper look when I am w/o toddler today (granny is taking him till tomorrow- bliss)

A friend of mine's toddler recently got hand, foot and mouth from the paddling pool at RP, makes me a bit nervous...Playground is excellent though! Myatts field also good IIRC.

Moos, couldn't agree more. Also absloutely disgusted by dogwalker in goose green- appalling. Seb rcrntly heard a mum telling off her son and was effing and blinding and used the word sh*t a lot. Seb laughed his cheeky head off and proceeded to shout said swear word a the top of his lungs for around ten minutes. Fab!!!

And me. Energetic 19mo old and newborn + no playgroups = mummy may reach for the bottle (of gin, whiskey, tequila...)

Queen Mab, snap. I am going to be pregnant forever and ever and ever. I have two EDDs one of which is tomorrow and the other is Friday but it's all a moot point. I'll be one one of those bodyshock tv shows- the woman that was pregnant for five thousand years, or whatever. Aaaarrrgh. My son is at his grandmas tomorrow, so will try and make it along! Maybe the newborns will release some lovely oxytocin?

We've got an ooooollllld Audi a4 estate (Audi a4 1.9 tdi) and it's brilliant. You could get a lot for your 8k if you got a second hand one. Excellent fuel economy, managed to get 60mpg on motorways. We have our 18mo olds seat in the back as well as a newborn seat (still waiting for newborn though). Maclaren and Phil and teds in the boot- so v spacious. Couldn't recommend enough!!!

Sally, if he is happy to eat fruits but refuses purees, then he may be ready for solids BLW style. My son was the same, we had such battles getting him to eat purees but he ate 'food' really well, so we followed his lead really. There are lots of good books on BLW, I know it's a bit daunting; unchartered territory and all; have heard excellent things about Gill Rapely's book- which I believe is available from the library, but am sure someone on here would be happy to lend you a copy if you asked? From doing a search, this thread seems quite useful too: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,655935,655935#msg-655935 There is absolutely no harm in waiting to offer solids- remember the saying 'under 1, just for fun'. It's so true, really. I don't think my son started PROPERLY eating until he was at least 11mo. Happy as larry, albeit small (genetics).

Gussy; me and my husband have considered starting a business JUST like that!!! Like you said, we'd probably just have a maclaren and hire other buggies out as and when we needed it. I think it's an excellent idea, but my husband doesn't think there is much call for it. I saw a lady in Sainsbury's with the city mini double and a young baby and toddler in it (she said they were 3mo and 20 mo) and I had a go- it was so easy to push. However, it's still a 'big' pram. She said she doesn't have much trouble with buses but it's still difficult and that often she has to wait for a 2nd, 3rd, 4th bus as they're full with smaller buggies first. TBH my little boy goes mental when he is in the high up position on the p+t, he just cannot abide it, so we'll definitely be slinging it and using the maclaren for a long while- might even have to flog the newborn cocoon at this rate.