oimissus

we're going to go for a toddler bed as I really want eventually to get Miss Oi one of those raised bunks with a den bit underneath - the first time I saw one I so wished I'd had one as a child! But she's too young for it right now. More money I know, but she's a one-and-only. Her room's not massive either so it will give her more space later on. We have a sofa in her room for stories.

yes, I used them, Miss Oi was born in the depths of winter, and even if the sun was out she was all bundled up, so it seemed to make sense. Ask the HV for some more if you need them.

ah, yes, I've just been looking at M&S and all theirs look shape-free - what's the quality like, reviews online seemed a bit hit and miss? The patterns look great, I love a gaudy tight. The H&M ones that are shape-free are all plain. I bought some Primark ones when she was a baby, they were a bit thin I thought.

Gap and JoJo both have shaped feet, boo. Also, JoJo are a bit steep aren't they - ?8 for ONE pair of tights??? Yikes. I need to go to Hennes (sorry, I'm old, I just can't call it H&M) anyway so will check out their tights. I just think it must be so uncomfortable to have a load of extra material bunched up in your shoes. I don't think 8.5 at nearly 4 is abnormal, is it? I think my niece is the same, though she's very tall, she's been in 4-5 clothes for ages. Miss Oi is 6.5 at nearly 3, if it wasn't for this tights issue I don't think I would know if her feet were small or not!

ah, Gap, that's interesting, 30% off this week so am doing an order anyway. Will have a look - thanks!

I've struggled with the feet of tights being far too big for Miss Oi, but last year I discovered John Lewis tights which didn't have defined 'feet' (i.e. they had a reinforced toe but no 'heel', so they'd fit any sized foot - does that make sense?). Anyway, I went there to buy some 3-4 yr tights (she's nearly 3 and quite tall for her age, I've been told) - imagine my horror when I saw heels on these tights!! It means that the heel comes quite far up her leg, and the toe is very wide as well so there's a load of extra material. So, the point of this ridiculously rambling post is - does anyone know where you can get non-heeled tights for a 3 year old? Thanking you.

I haven't been but I've heard it's meant to be amazing. I think I read a lot about it on Mumsnet, have a search there.

well, as the person who initially raised concern with the word 'artificial' (which I maintain in this context, we're not a bunch of medical or scientific experts; we're parents, in some cases expectant or new parents, and it's not a helpful phrase - glad to hear it's not used in front of new mums), I would also like to add that I think 'breastapo' is a pretty grim term too (also one that I've never heard before these threads) so can we not use that either?

how is 'formula feeding' euphemistic? Sounds pretty straightforward to me - feeding your baby with formula. For the record, I'm not offended, or distressed - I just think it's a horrible, unempathetic and totally unnecessary term to use when 'formula feeding' is out there and perfectly understandable. Can you really not see why? Have you not read stories (on this very thread) of women who have not been able to breastfeed, or breastfeed as long as they would like, and feel guilty (or, worse, are made to feel guilty) for feeding their babies formula - can you not see how refer to their babies' food as 'artificial' is just . . . wrong?

no, on Ferndene you can't park at all between 12 and 2 (residents parking only at those times). The car park is a nightmare I agree. You can park on any of the roads on the non-Kings side of Camberwell Grove (McNeil Road, Vestry, Shenley etc) and then it's a 10-15 minute walk.

breast may be better (can you have a best when only 2 things are being compared? I didn't think so), but that is not to say that there is anything wrong with formula. I am fed up with reading things that seem to imply that giving your baby formula is akin to weaning them on turkey twizzlers. It simply isn't. Really, I do wonder how I ever made it to an RG uni and got a good degree, formula fed as I was . . .

sorry, have been biting my tongue over this from the previous thread - can we agree NOT to use the term 'artificial' milk or feeding - it's a vile phrase, designed to make those who bottle/formula feed feel bad about themselves and their choices or circumstances. If I heard a health care professional use that phrase I would report them. And I say that as someone who bf'd for a year, but who couldn't give a toss what others do. There's a whole lot more to children's development, health and general well-being to what they are fed as babies. Yes, it would be great if more people bf'd for longer (it's free! it's less hassle!!) but it's not a bloody disaster. Happy mum = happy baby - I think we can agree on that? Good. Over and out.

we're going to risk going without, she watched the neighbours fireworks from her bedroom, admittedly behind glass, but I think once she could see what was causing the bangs she wasn't so bothered, and a lot of them made exciting wheeeee noises which she liked, and she was so bowled over by the whole thing that I'm hoping she'll be fine. It's a free display and not too far, so if she really hates it we can just come home!

well, I wasn't sure, but she wasn't happy about all the bangs going off yesterday - she isn't great with loud noises in general. They've got them quite cheap in B&Q so I think I'll try there.

bit of a long shot - would anyone have any ear defenders to fit a 2 year old that we could borrow for fireworks on Monday? Would of course come and pick up/drop off. thanks!

we've lived here for 8 years now, it's lovely. We were also told not to live north of the railway (by a Bellenden Road snob) - but we were also told that this was 'the 2nd best road in Peckham'! Never found out what the best road was . . . It's a great road, apparently built as a show road in the 1860s so lots of different styles of houses, the road is wider than usual, and some very long gardens. Loads of buses just down on the Peckham Rd, Peckham Rye (and Denmark Hill, which isn't that much further) very good, and will be getting the Overground in December. Close to shops and pubs on and around Bellenden. Rye lLane is a practical, if not beautiful, place to shop, I like that I can walk in less than 10 mins to a decent sized supermaket, Boots, Primark, Maothercare, WHSmiths, library, swimming pool. Very good if you have/are planning to have children. Never seen or heard a tiger though . . .

does anyone know what I could do with all my leftover sweets (tis always the way - we never put out decorations and yet the years when I get sweets in we have a couple of callers, and the years when I don't bother we have loads) - stupidly I bought stuff that a) I don't like and b) I have no intention of giving Miss Oi - but it seems a pity for them to go to waste. Agree about persistent knockers - there was one group who knocked on our door twice (this was as I was getting ready for bed, not that late but after 9), and they went across the road and banged on someone's door 4 times. And no costumes either, just a carrier bag for sweets. Tch! Curmudgeon - the problem I have with older trick or treaters (in my experience) is that they are less likely to pay attention to the no-decorations-no-trickortreaters 'rule', they come round later and they don't make much, if any, effort with costumes. They are, in fact, begging. Looks like your experience is better, which is great. I'm happy to give out sweets at a reasonable time to kids of whatever age who've made an effort.

well, I've no decorations up and I've had 2 groups knock, which isn't bad given the amount of action I can hear out there. The first group were 3 girls and they looked very good indeed, fantastic make up and costumes. The second was a toddler with no costume and an older child wearing - you've guessed it - a Scream mask. I gave them sweets through gritted teeth. And, as an aside - what's with the bloody fireworks? It's Bonfire Night NEXT MONDAY people!

so true. Mr Oi's oldest friend has been a wheelchair user for around 10 years now, and we always have to factor in accessibilty and loos when deciding on venues for birthdays etc - we even needed to ensure the church we had Miss Oi christened in (he's her godfather) was accessible - things that would never have crossed our minds before. You simply can't equate the difficulties of getting around town with a buggy, even a double buggy, to those experienced by wheelchair users. Those spaces have been campaigned for and won by disability groups and charities - please, never assume they are there for you and your buggy, or that you have any 'right' to use them. They are a huge bonus, of course, and make getting out and about with small children so much easier - but they are not 'ours'. Think of the effort a wheelchair user may have to make simply to get to the bus top (my friend, for example, probably weighs in the region of 12 stone - imagine pushing that weight, plus your chair, up a hill)- to be denied access to the bus after that, because an entitled parent won't move their pushchair, is dreadful. I actually think this is a very black-and-white situation.

wheelchairs have priority - the space can ONLY be used by pushchairs if it is not needed by a wheelchair user. If my child was sleeping or I had loads of stuff under it and couldn't fold it, I would get off and wait for another bus. That's a bit of inconvenience for me on one day. Wheelchair users have this every second of every day of their lives. Appalling that anyone would think otherwise. (Not on the bus but the tube - during the paralympics I saw 3 people with buggies use the lift at London Bridge, stopping a man in a wheelchair from using it. Clearly, even at that time it did not occur to them to give him priority. Shocking.)

I'm with Otta too; yes, the owner doesn't like prams and that probably a bad business decision, but it's his decision to make. It's a pity, but it's hardly like there's a dearth of places to go with your pram round here. And the OP managed to have a lovely time practically NEXT DOOR! Also, a pram isn't essential with small children - babies can go in slings, toddlers can walk. Of course, that's not always convenient, but it's just not true to say that you HAVE to have a pram with you when you're out and about.

ah, sorry, didn't realize that bit. Definitely ignore my post!

Imperial War Museum, number 12 bus.

I'm going to suggest something a bit controversial here, and feel free to shoot me down as I have absolutely no experience of this - but your post suggests to me that your daughter isn't really toilet trained or dry in the day - because she isn't really going to the toilet during the day. It sounds like she's 'saving' it up until she's in a nappy at night. So I wondered if a return to potty training tactics to encourage her to urinate more during the day might help? Because it seems to me that it doesn't matter what you do at night - if she's barely weeing in the day it's going to be almost impossible for her to be dry at night. As I said, no experience at all (recently abandoned my second attempt at potty-training Miss Oi!), but that's just what jumped out at me from your post. Ignore at will!

another recommendation for the Bee, and the plus factors with no carry cot - you can strap the baby in, and if you have a baby with wind / reflux then lying totally flat isn't great anyway. Long days no problem, and you can shove it across even long grass with a bit of effort - not so much that it's a problem. Miss Oi is 2.10 yrs and our Bee is still going strong (my niece a year older is still in hers too). Also, it's narrowness is so handy on buses and trains, and we have a very narrow hallway as well.