fapl

A check for tongue tie is not just a visual check, it is a rubber glove on and a feel under the tongue, so I have missed something somewhere along the line, I assumed making a tongue tie check at birth would mean actually checking. Having a bit of a look would be the most pointless check as so many cases would be missed. Saffron, if you want to read up on frenulums I can highly recommend the work of the late Dr Brian Palmer (he sadly committed suicide about 2 years ago). He was the first to admit his own personal research was not scientific in that it was compiled through his own work experience and research, not looking at big enough population groups etc. He was a dentist with no children of his own so no vested interests that I can see which to me makes him all the more amazing for producing his research.

Also, feeding issues can hit the mental health of new mothers quite hard.

Best to know there is tongue tie though immediately after birth, if it doesn't cause problems and does not require treatment, great. Knowing can save weeks of heartache when nobody can explain to you why your baby can't feed/you can't breast feed. It will also save tens of thousands of women giving up breastfeeding in the early weeks when that is not what they want to do. Saffron, if all babies are checked at birth and all midwives are trained to identify posterior ties (volunteers in the community are successfully trained to identify this problem so it shouldn't be specialist, it shold be standard training) as well as more standard and obvious ties, hopefully a lot less babies will be reach the point where they are referred to specialists for 'failure to thrive' and other feeding issues. I am sure a 10 second check by midwives will cost the NHS a lot less money in the long run than appointments for all these babies being otherwise being referred to specialists. The article, 3% of babies affected! Where did they get that stat from?! It is loads more than that.

Center Parcs is as cheap as Center Parcs gets during January, it is ?229 for a 2 bed woodland lodge at Elveden for 4 nights from Jan 13th. You really don't need to spend any extra money while you are there as the kitchen is really well stocked with pots and pans. There is a big Sainsbury's about 5-10 minutes drive away towards Thetford and you can stock up on Pizza's and other easy meals. Animals come right up to your window every day, ducks, squirrels and deer if you are lucky. There is a fire place to make it lovely and cozy. If your budget can stretch the spa is a lovely treat, but if not the swimming pool is great with a lazy river, wave pool, slides and great toddler area. I will never go again now though, my son is in reception and the same 4 day break costs about a grand in school holidays!

You said he doesn't like the noise and doesn't like the splash, could it be a sensory issue? I know the pooing is the biggest issue for you all at the moment, but when you think about it does he have other sensory issues eg. get upset by hand dryers or other loud noises, water temperature, textures of food or fabrics etc.

5 schools in Lewisham were late emergency bulges. http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/10578463.Lewisham_Council_accused_of_keeping_primary_school_place_shortage__under_wraps_/

If you can get to any woodland, it is nice and cool under the canopy of the trees.

I just mash a banana, mix with a bit of yogurt (or a dash of milk if I have run out) then put in a calippo style silicone ice lolly mould and freeze. Approximately half a banana fills one mould, so half a banana for the kids desert:-) like these on ebay... http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2053587.m570.l1313.TR10.TRC0.Xsilicone+ice+lolly.TRS0&_nkw=silicone+ice+lolly&_sacat=0&_from=R40

Any one into product design that wants to go on dragon's den with me? A bar attachment that goes across Mclaren handles so you can steer and push with one hand. I have had this idea for a while, just don't know how to execute it.

Just a reminder this is on in the morning :-)

I think people lose their temper really quickly on crowded buses. I had a woman tell me the other week my son crying on the bus was not normal. He just didn't want to be there but there no point getting as we had to get home and if we had got off and got the next bus it would have been just as bad. I turned around and told her she wasn't being very helpful. I can't remember anything like that happening not on a bus in a long time. If you are anywhere else you can just pop outside or something, but a bus nobody can get off between stops. You need a thick skin traveling on buses with a baby :) There are lovely people on buses too, the number of times my kids have been offered sweets, and once an old man gave me ?10 to treat them (and I don't think I look poor!).

City farms are free, I like Mudchute which you can get to on the DLR, and there is one in Surrey Quays on the East London Line, one in Vauxhall but I have not been and don't know where it is. If you go to Greenwich there is so much to do that is free, my kids like walking in the foot tunnel under the river Thames, the entrance is via a Domed lift right near the Cutty Sark. On there other side there is a small park, basically a patch of grass, there is a little kiosk type cafe so you could grab an ice lolly. The view back to Greenwich is lovely you get to see all the stunning buildings. Also th view from the top of Greenwich Park near the Observatory is stunning, out to Canary Wharf and the City. If you drive the Beastly Hall Exhibtion is still on at Hall Place in Bexley, adults ?7.50 from memory but I think kids of 4 and 6 might be free. (the ticket is valid 12 months). Fun gardens to run around in there and to make a day of it you could stop in Danson Park which has a great playground, and a small splash park bit if it is a hot day. Open top bus tours are ridiculously expensive, maybe just go on the top deck of a but that goes past a number of sights, surely somebody here could suggest a route :-) I have not been, but maybe changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

The sale is this Saturday, there will be 50 sellers, so thousands of items all sorted into different age groups and categories so it is east to find what you are after.

If it is a water saving strategy, it is not a London wide one. Was at Danson Park in Bexley a few weeks ago when it wasn't even that warm and their splash play area was working.

drIf any of you need a clear out of baby and young children's items here is your chance. You do not need to be an NCT member to sell or buy at any of our sales. Full details can be found here: http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=be40f74b08699fc87ac4d37dc&id=2645b0cadb This is for the Lewisham branch of the NCT, the sale is held in Catford just off off the south circular so easy to reach from East Dulwich with parking on site.

Southwold?

Hi Belle, I have similar aged boy and am in the same situation as you :-) Very difficult, seems more difficult than other kids his age, but what exactly is normal? My son is at a really fab preschool, I raised my concerns a few months ago, they spent the last few months observing him and recently sat me down and suggested it may be worthwhile referring him to a paed. for an assessment. (the preschool have in no way suggested any possible label, I am the one that thinks he screams ADHD diagnosis). My brother was diagnosed ADHD and there is something about the diagnosis that does not sit comfortably with me. I have been completeing a course on coursera https://www.coursera.org/course/adhd (universities from around the world, but mainly US, put college courses on line for people to study for free), to try and educate myself as to the current mainstream medical opinions on the disorder. The lack of answers as to cause and why treatment options work/don't work leaves me with not much confidence in the medical profession. I just don't think meds seem like the right long term solution. They are a solution for getting kids through the school day perhaps, which does probably mean a lot to some people, but things would have to be really bad for me to ever consider it (and I do not intend for things to ever get that bad). Even sending parents on parenting courses etc. what about when children are in other environments where people have not had specific training to deal with ADHD type behaviours? I have just started reading about a few alternative therapies. I read a book "Is that my child" http://www.amazon.co.uk/That-Child-Dyspraxia-Tourettes-Childhood/dp/0753510642 and a lot of it had some resonance to me (although you can see from the amazon reviews his opinions polarise people, he is not a medical doctor, he is a chiropractor, and some things he talks about has no scientific basis, but as far as I am concerned the scientists do not have the answers anyway). Basically he combines a few different ideas, the main one being diet and nutrition is really important, he recommends omega and other mineral supplements to help with brain development, and also specific physical and computer based visual exercises to help underactive areas of the brain develop. Reading up on these alternative views, I do believe there is a high chance my son with ADHD behaviours may have trouble with visual and auditory processing. Basically his brain may be having trouble distinguishing the various sounds around him and does not know what to filter out. He can definitely hear, but often does not seem to listen and it can be difficult for me to get his attention. You can google auditory integration training or Tomatis. Also, visually he often has trouble seeing things under his nose and he is proving to be more clumsy than his peers, even though he walked form 11 months so from an early age I thought he had advanced gross motor skills. Here is a private OT practise (I know nothing about them other than their website, but it illustrates the kind of things I am talking about) http://www.hemispheres.org.uk/ that offers various different treatments, both auditory and physical exercises. I am looking into various treatments (not done anything yet) as I think at worst, we will waste some time and money, and at best we may really tackle some of my sons issues and boost his brain in a meaningful way so he can manage his own behaviour better (not just external methods of parents/teachers etc. trying to manage him, and meds only work for the time they are active in the body). Might all be a bit woo for some... Martial arts are also supposed to be good. That sort of ties up with the whole physical exercise developing the brain thing so that makes sense to me. Richard Branson, Justin Timberlake, Will Smith and loads of other successful people who have been diagnosed ADHD, so as long as I ensure my son has high self esteem and does not fall in with the wrong crowd, I am not worried long term, but I think the school years will be difficult. That was long.

We went the the Lake District for a week at Christmas. Even though it was the middle of winter we loved it. We stayed here http://www.lakeland-village.co.uk/index.html It is a small complex of cottages and a hotel. If you stay in a cottage you get to use the facilities (pool and gym) of the hotel. It is not in a town so you will need to get in your car a bit, although there is a town store you can walk to, there is a local really nice high end supermarket about 10 minutes drive away in Ulverstone, called Booths. The cottage was really big, a bit dated, but very well maintained and very clean. The kitchen was properly stocked with all utensils etc. There is also a small playground on site. The cottages are timeshare, so a lot of the other cottage guests were older people that probably bought their timeshares back in the 80's (and can't sell them), but probably why they are still kept so well. We got our holiday cheap because somebody was selling their week on ebay. We would definitely go back there is the price was right. The whole of the lake district does seem to have lots of B&Bs, caravan parks, boutique hotels etc. so I am sure you will find something lovely.

Some nurseries are a minimum number of 2 sessions because a week is too long between sessions for a child to get settled properly. My son was at a nursery that specified this (however when I went on maternity leave they were happy for him to be in one day a week as they knew him and knew he was settled there, not in ED).

At the moment parents of children with offers to Judith Kerr would be very silly not to hang onto other school places offered. Different area, different school, but International Academy of Greenwich announced last week they are deferring opening their new free school, problems with the site apparently... http://www.iaog.org.uk/blog/announcement-opening-deferred-until-september-2014

Coram's Fields http://www.coramsfields.org/ Hever Castle http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/ Drusilla's http://www.drusillas.co.uk/ is great for that age but a bit of a drive, could you get a Travelodge room for a night, and double up with a day at the seaside? Bewl Water, playground, picnic and cycle path amongst other activities http://www.bewlwater.co.uk/ Strawberry (or other fruit) picking at a pick your own, lots of places in Kent Hall place and the Beastly Hall exhibition http://www.bexleyheritagetrust.org.uk/hallplace/ Knole house in Sevenoaks, typical old NT house, might be wasted on a 2 year old but the number of deer is phenomenal, so just go for a walk in the grounds, and a picnic if you don't mind a deer sticking their nose in! Bekonscot Model Village, short walk from Beaconsfield train station so a good day trip on a train http://www.bekonscot.co.uk/ Greenwich, so much to do, park, observatory, maritime museum, walk in the tunnel under the Thames, walk around the Cutty Sark (pricey to enter so I have not been in yet!), boat trip along the Thames. Oxleas Wood, one of the oldest woods around London, approximately 8,000 years old. The caf has stunning views. There is also a small farm over the road http://www.thewoodlandsfarmtrust.org/about.html Mudchute City farm http://www.mudchute.org/ Broadstairs for sandy beaches and icecream parlours Swanley Park on a weekend for the miniture railway, paddling pool and playground http://www.swanleypark.co.uk/index.html Come back and tell us what you did and what your son enjoyed :)

I wanted to travel somewhere different for a day out by train a few weeks ago and looked at the days out website http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/ We decided to go to Bekonscot Model Village http://www.bekonscot.co.uk/ Beacpnsfield is 30 minutes from Marylebone station and the model village is a few hundred meters away. We had a great afternoon there.

Chislehurst Caves leaflet says it can be hired for evening functions, they used to hold dances and gigs in there... http://www.chislehurst-caves.co.uk/

We had a brilliant holiday in Norfolk last year. So much to do, the broads are stunning, Norwich is a lovely city if anybody wants a day in town, there are beaches (we didn't go to the beach we were so busy doing other stuff so I can't tell you if it is any good), country houses, all sorts of things to see and do. I googled and found this house http://www.barshambarns.co.uk/The_Great_East_Barn :)

Just out of interest, not relevant to me, where do the children from the infants school go if they don't get into Dulwich Hamlet?