GCOakley

looks good. do you know how much it costs?

agree with previous posts. baby bjorn really uncomfortable. for my second i used a wrap around sling and would recommend 100%. you carry the weight all over your body, not just on shoulders. after about 6 months i used a ring sling on my hip and found that really practical.

I know it seems daunting but it's probably going to be a lot of fun. i've done it twice on my own with two little kids, and built it up as a real adventure. just get really really excited by the whole airplane thing. we got a book about My First Journey on a plane or something, plus books of animals in australia etc. just take a few favourite books, and a few little toys. don't take loads because you'll have to carry them around, plus the airline will give you a goody bag for kids. plus there is telly with a kids channel and lots of favourites. plus lots of food and snacks. and at some point he will just conk out from the excitement, i promise you. the jet lag thing is just a big big load of patience, i'm afraid. just be understanding if he's not in the best mood, and lots of fresh air and running around, as pickle says. and really try and switch to local time immediately, even if it means staying awake for ages. and bear in mind that he might not want to do very much for a few days. i found unpacking my kids toys and having them around in the new place you're staying in was a big help as it was one thing they recognised. good luck!

I can?t meet tomorrow, but would love to come to future meetings. we?re bringing our kids up to be bilingual, but now we are back in england i think the toddler would benefit from more exposure to spanish than just at home.

I read a wonderful book called My Child Won't Eat by Carlos Gonzalez, which was really interesting on unpacking some of the psychology around parenting and mealtimes. It was a bit more for parents who are worried about the amount of food their child eats rather than how they engage with their food, but it had some good advice for how to make mealtimes a lot less stressful. He does suggest trying to eat together, even if not every day, just so kids can see you enjoying your food. Basically, as Fuchsia says, a fussy toddler doesn't mean a fussy girl or woman later on, so best to take a deep breath and try and relax around mealtimes. i found a link to the book in case it's useful for you http://www.amazon.com/My-Child-Wont-Eat-International/dp/0912500999 happy eating!

Your daughter is very lucky to have an understanding mother, and please reassure her that many of us have gone through similar things. All children become socialised at different speeds, and some find it very difficult. She will get there, perhaps with a lot of patience from all around! I had a similar issue and was advised by my child's teacher that some shy children turn to hitting as they cannot articulate what they want to say, which is basically go away to the other child. They have to learn that hitting is not acceptable, but they should not be forced to spend time playing with other children if they don't want to as they find it stressful. She suggested just spending time with one other child that we knew well in a really safe environment.

Excellent idea, let us know how to join. My mum was in one for years and years. I think it worked because it wasn't too complicated.

You need to make sure you hang out with other families with boys the same age so you can see what the normal boy things are. and get a mum friend or two with a slightly older son so they can tell you not to worry. i'll always be thankful to my friend who told me about the testosterone injection at about 3 when your lovely calm son becomes mr angry for a while. yes you will do a lot of running around and might have to take up judo so you can wrestle properly and beat him. but it will be a lot of fun.

Hi I went to Australia on my own with 4 year old and 10 month old. Night flights better as more sleep for everyone. Book bassinet and get there really early to make sure you get it as is good for extra leg room. take books etc but they will probably prefer fiddling with the inflight entertainment buttons. the older kid will probably love it. it's an adventure. have fun yourself and they will too. if you're going on your own with kids you can book extra assistance for boarding and landing which means someone will come and carry your hand luggage for you through customs etc. Enjoy.

Hi Just remembering a few things from a lactation consultant course i did a while back.... about the boobs, the huge-boob effect happens as your body just gets more used to producing the amount that your baby needs rather than going into production overload in the first few months your baby's feeding patterns will change over the first year, and beyond. extra feeding and suckling can be your baby's way of stimulating you to produce more milk so try and let him suckle as much as he wants to. he might also be on a growth spurt. if you are also looking after an older child, there might be knock-on effects of tiredness, or not as much time to take over feeds as you did with the first one. try and have one long cuddle-feed a day. hope this helps

having been a young babysitter myself, can i just throw in that the parents can really help by telling the kids what activities they will do with the babysitter. i had lots of intentions to do creative things and not watch the telly, but the kids just whined that their parents always let them watch the telly. i would give in, nervous of making them upset and then tell their parents that i was no fun. maybe a clear telly rule for all involved would help.

what times does it run?

Hi there I'm looking for a childminder for a toddler who would also do a school pick up for a 6 year old from heber?

all v sensible, just one little extra tip from someone who lived in v hot country for 5 years with little ones. let them sleep naked with no covers, and if they are really hot we used to put wet sarongs on them for a bit until temperature dies down. and open all windows. not having access to air conditioning, we had to be a bit inventive but we all survived.

I had exactly this issue with both kids, bilingual. took them to doctor and speech therapist, both said just to wait, too early to see if a problem etc. didn't believe them so took them somewhere else, who said exactly the same thing. conclusion - don't worry about it too much, just keep an eye on it. and relax - you don't want to pass on any worries about speech to little ones.

Hi Does anyone know about the outdoor playgroup/social thing on Wednesday mornings in Brockwell park? And also a parents-led nursery there? I remember seeing a poster and something on a forum, but cannot find them again. thank you!