fufton

Another recommendation for Niko, excellent work, very helpful and friendly.

Went last week, they have 3 sheep only so far and the walkway is not finished yet.

Hi Molly Amazon have them, still a bit pricey but they are delivered from the UK so not so bad.

My sone went there form 5months old to 3yrs old when I moved him to start school. Whilst towards the end I did have a few grumbles and the staff turnover was high, I can't complain at all about the love and care they always showed him. He has made really lovely friends there and although there is really no 'education' at that age, it certainly gave him a very good grounding for school.

Hi Monkey I really wouldn't worry at all, as others have said, they all develop at their own pace. O has just started to recognise letters and some days can write his anme and other days he seems to have totally forgotten how. this development has happened literally in the last week and as i said, its in fits and starts. C will get there in her own time, I'm sure you've checked in with the school to understand what teaching they are doing, I am starting to follow the phonics letters O is learning that week at home, but not formally - just randomly pointing stuff out around the house or playing eye-spy, that weay he doesn't feel pressured. ps...we should really meet up before Christmas!

As a high rate tax payer and (shock horror) a banker it seems I fall into the category of those who should be willing to accept the cut. Unfortunately it's not that cut and dry. I may be a high rate tax payer but it only takes a small amount of income to tip you over that threshold, and as a single parent paying for child care in order to work, child benefit goes a long way to helping out. Whilst I don't disagree that there are households who can manage without, sweeping generalisations about high earners and bankers are very tiresome, all circumstances are different.

Yes, it may be something to do with that, i think you and Saffron are right, I'll see about getting a referral, if its just me over worrying then fine, but if not then its best to know. Thanks all

Thanks snowboarder, u r right, it is tedious, just wish I could get him excited about trying new stuff.

Yes fascia he did, was really quite bad and weaning was a nightmare!

Thanks everyone, saffron I will try your suggestions. Fuschia, I'm not expecting him to eat much....just something!! At nursery he will have 1 weetabix for breakfast (I think that is great) and then picks at his lunch and I may get lucky if he eats a sausage at dinner as he did tonight. Weekends tho I can't even get him to have breakfast, he can go all day on a slice of malt loaf! I offer him all sorts, basics like fish fingers and sausages, fish pie, chicken pie ( don't think he has ever actually tried chicken in his life yet!!). I try and make it fun, I've even tried with things like nutella to get him to eats a slice of toast but he's not interested! He does have preferred things, pasta and sausages usually work to get something into him but it's barely a meal. He is incredibly fussy ( will only eat 1 type of pasta sauce) and that's not for want of my trying, I regularly take to restaurants etc as well to try and tempt him with stuff but just no joy. I'm sure he is just being stubborn which he can be ( when potty training he didn't want to have an accident so decided it was best just not to do a wee....lasted 2 days, I thought he was going to explode!!). But joking aside this is getting silly, doctor said his immune system was low as a result and to get him to drink orange juice, guess what.....doesn't like oj! Help!

My 3 yr old son has always been a very fussy eater and only eating small quantities of food. Over the last few months its getting worse and worse, I just can't get him to eat anything. I've tried giving him lots of options, tried giving him no options ('this is your dinner and there is nothing else'), kept a food diary etc etc, we've been to the doctors who just said to give him no options and less milk - he was tending to fill up on milk during the day. i have stopped milk during the day and it hasn't improved. I'm sure its just a phase, but it is getting silly now, every meal time is either a battle and he walks away hungry or I just giving up trying to force him to eat and he walks away hungry. At nursery he at lest eats breakfast but only picks at his lunch and snack as well. Does anyone have any suggestions that I could try, I'm getting desperate now!

Oakfield Prep have an after school club until 6pm and a breakfast club that starts at 7:45. My son is starting there in September, I am opting for the breakfast club and that childminder to pick him up at the end of the school day so no after school club. I found my childminder advertising on the EDF.

My 3yr old son will be starting at Oakfields in September, was wondering if anyone is starting in this year group and would be interested in arranging play dates over the summer?

Re Sainsburys - totally agree - most frustrating thing ever. Every time I have asked someone to move or not park there I've been met with a blank stare as if I was making up some strange new rule. So now, when I get that reaction, I just make a note of the reg - go to the customer servce desk and get the carpark security guy - and have them fined. Maybe a little OTT - but makes me feel better :)

Hi Monkey As you know I am in exactly the same situation with O. Took the plunge this week and went cold turkey, has worked brilliantly at the nursery as all his firends are training now too and he is so proud of himself - not one accident on Wednesday. That said - at home he is the opposite - he point blank refuses to use the potty and will hold and hold it until its bed time and has a nappy on. Im not giving up this time as I know he can do it but my concern is that by potty training him at the nursery and 'outsourcing' he does not have the routine of doing it at home. I'm probably worrying over nothing and when it become second nature at nursery it will at home too. As you can't take time off my suggestion would be to speak to the nursery and kick start it there, find out if C has friends who are training now too? Oh - and a small 'well done' present and the end of each day seems to work too -nothing like a bit of bribery!