Knomester

Lochie, there is also a lovely Usborne book about going to the doctor which my sister bought for our toddler to go with the doctor's kit she bought him for Christmas. I wouldn't have thought to buy it, but he loves reading it and I think along with the doctor's kit is one of the reasons he is fine with visits to the doctor. He even pulls his own top up for the stethoscope! The situation is very different at the dentist where he screams, legs it out of the room given half a chance and clamps his mouth firmly shut...

Thank you sanitygirl. I have a voucher that covers free delivery and returns which is good. I'll try going puma size based on what you say.

Boden have kindly sent me a voucher and some money off which makes their children's clothes a tad more affordable, so I thought I'd order my toddler some shorts and a t-shirt from their summer range. I just wondered if anyone has bought clothes for a toddler boy before and what the sizes are like? My 2.6yo is 98cm tall which is the height given for the age 3 sizes. I'm just wondering whether this is the maximum height for the size and whether I'd be better going up a size for him so that they'll last him the summer? (He is already in age 3-4 in Next and Sainsburys clothes). I guess I could just buy both and send one back...

I can't add anything to what Saffron says because we didn't do anything about our toddler's chicken pox marks, but I just wanted to say that he had some very angry red marks which were on his back (where he couldn't have scratched them but where the biggest scabs were) and they are just now starting to disappear of their own accord. I think it has taken around 6 months.

Just to reiterate what others have said - don't worry! I didn't walk until I was over 18 months and our now 2.5yo didn't walk until he was around 16 months. He never stops now...

Our toddler got his scooter a month or two before his 2nd birthday as an early birthday present. He took to it pretty much straight away. He had (and still has) a helmet. He never had the one with the seat, just straight onto a mini micro.

We have one of these in our toddler's bedroom. It does mean attaching velcro to the window frame, but it is the only things we've found which makes sure the no light gets in at all. We put it up each night and take it down in the morning - it's really easy and doesn't take more than 30 seconds. http://www.easyblindsonline.co.uk/

We've not had naps at home since he was 19 months... *woe* Occaisionally he asks for milk instead of water which is fine, but I don't offer it as he drinks it after teeth cleaning not before. I think the taking things from one 'activity' to another is sometimes a subconscious thing to help them with the transition. I could be completely wrong, but I don't resist it because it tends to ease the process!

We have certain toys too oimissus - it started rabdomly one night at around 18 months when from nowhere (having never had anything in his cot ever) he demanded to take rabbit and bunny to bed (rabbit is not small...). It has progressed to rabbit, bunny, bob (his doll) and for the last few nights 'baby' (a toy mouse which he decided was a baby at the weekend). Last week he wanted to take polar bear to bed. Polar bear is HUGE so I said he'd rather sit on the floor and watch him. Last night he shouted me back upstairs after lights out (unusual and a sign of going through one of his phases...) to extend this wanting to take a piece of tissue paper to bed. I declined but put it on his chest of drawers where he could get it in the morning. Not sure if it's procrastination (possibly still a touch young for that) or struggling with transition from one thing to the next, a bit like taking random things with him to his childminder each day? Always lights out and door closed for sleep (and all hallyway lights off). He insists on it, but then we've always done that.

We too have 'lively' bedtimes with our 2.5 year old and getting to the point of sleeping bag on, drink and book can be challenging to say the least at the moment! Our 'routine' hasn't really changed for a long long time and goes along the lines of bath (alternate nights), then bedroom for nappy & pjs, sleeping bag on, switch main light off and lamp on and then onto mummy or daddy's knee for a drink (we switched to water from a normal cup quite a long time ago) and a story (only 1 story otherwise it would be never ending and we read plenty the rest of the time!!), quick cuddle, into the cot, light off and (hopefully) sleep.

I think there have been some similar threads on this topic so it may be worth doing a search. In our case, our son goes to a childminder 3-4 days per week. We found her after lots of research a few months before he was due to start and he has been with her for over 18 months now. We pay ?57.50 for an 8am to 6pm day and she has 4 weeks' paid holiday per year. Our son's childminder provides all food, drinks, milk, etc. She pays for the groups that they attend (usually 2 or 3 each week) and for things like soft play or city farms when she takes him there. We supply the nappies but she supplies wipes, etc. So really the price we pay is for everything and there are no hidden extras, but I understand all childminders work in different ways so you would need to check individually with them.

I think we stopped around 4 months (by which time he could get his arms out), but then moved on to a sleeping bag with sheet tucked in tightly under arms to make him feel secure.

Voted!

Thank you. I'll have to take a look at the blurb and work it out then!

I am probably being really dim, but is our entitlement to CB calculated for us or do we need to do that ourselves and opt out if necessary? We are still receiving it and I have never received any correspondence about it. Am I wrong to just assume that we are still entitled to it?

Thank you for the messages and PMs. I was too late home from work to take another proper look last night but will do. There is plenty of room for some teeth, if that's what it is, but I would just rather know whether he is teething or not so we can be mindful of it. I had milk teeth taken out, but I don't know if that was because they were extra ones or there just wasn't room for them in my mouth - I'll check!

I just wondered if anyone has come across a situation where their toddler has grown more than the standard 20 milk / baby teeth? Our 2.5 year old has all 20 baby teeth, however he has shown all the signs of teething over the past 2 or 3 weeks (fingers in mouth, refusing to eat, early waking, rosy red cheeks, etc) and on closer inspection seems to have what look like teeth sat under his gums at the back on both sides of his lower jaw (white patches just below the surface of the gums). We took him to see the dentist to check, but in and between him not wanting to open his mouth and her not really seizing the opportunity when I did lay him on my lap and got him to open his mouth she didn't get a good look. She dismissed it saying that toddlers never grow extra teeth. A very quick search on the internet has shown this not to be true, although admittedly very rare. I just wondered if anyone has come across the same situation, or if there is another possible explanation for this, before we look into it further? Thanks

I have no personal experience of this (yet) but, like bluesuperted, I have a son who is a late August baby. We are still in two minds about what we will do and are waiting to see how he develops over the next few months (he isn't 3 yet). However, if we decide not to send him to school in the September when he will have just turned 4, we would put him straight into Y1 the following year (rather than reception where he would be a year behind his peers). Every child is different, but as a parent who is not a huge fan of 'formal' education for under 7s, let alone under 5s, I will be interested to hear what decisions others have made in a similar situation.

Thank you all for your help and advice. In the end, as my toddler already has a pair of leather ankle boots for everyday wear, we bought him a pair of waterproof snowboots (with adjustable velcro straps) for cold and snowy weather - http://www.muddypuddles.com/boys/footwear_1/snowboots_1/reflex_snowboots.htm - and a pair of knee high wellies for jumping in puddles on rainy days - http://www.muddypuddles.com/footwear/wellies/classic_wellies_navy.htm Both have proved to be excellent choices so far. We bought both in the next size up (size 8) and he wears them with thick welly socks. The snowboots fit well and are lovely and warm. They are also really light so he can run around in them no problem. The wellies come high up his legs so combined with waterproof trousers are perfect for mud and puddles. They also seem to fit much better than any of the other brands we tried (John Lewis, Hunter and Crocs). Can't wait for his feet to grow so that he can have a pair of splats though - they look amazing!

I sadly can't do either, but please go ahead if the date suits and I'll join you all next time.

We love it there!

We have the OXO spoon and fork which our toddler used from quite early on. Before that he just used a weaning spoon to feed himself and then the tommee tippee spoons which have a shorter ergonomically shaped handle. My husband helped him learn by sitting patiently with him around the same age as your little one encouraging him to 'scoop' and showing him so he could copy. As for foods, like Fuschia mentioned, anything thick and easy to scoop out of a high sided bowl - porridge, yogurt, soups, casseroles, scrambled eggs, small pasta shapes in sauce, etc

Thank you all so much! Lots to looks at.

I just wondered if any of you know much about wellies or waterproof boots in terms of how good they are for childrens' feet? Our toddler is due some new wellies as his feet have just grown, but we're not sure which brand or style to go for. Until now he has always had a basic welly (currently has the ?12 ones from John Lewis which have the cuff at the top), but as he wears them so much (all day sometimes - he spends most of his time in mud and puddles) I'm not sure whether they are any good for his feet, etc. We spend so much money on correctly fitted shoes that it strikes me as odd to just stick his feet in any old wellies when it's not just for occasional use (as in our son's case). There are so many wellies out there - bog standard wellies, crocs, hunter, joules, etc and I've also heard there are properly fitted waterproof boots you can by (I can't remember the details...) - that I'm not really sure where to start. He is a size 7 shoe so would probably need a bigger size in boots to allow for thicker socks. I don't know if that makes any difference. I'd be grateful for any thoughts / guidance! Thanks

Me too. I'll drag bluesuperted along ;)