Beany

As Snowboarder said, we moved to Sydney. Plus points are outdoor lifestyle so cheap fun activities for little ones, short commute, feels really safe (area dependent I guess), school places not a battle, weather (although don't expect sun every day like I did), caf?s, food, coffee :-) Less positive would be the property prices, distance from family and friends, no grandparents to call on for babysitting, (and supermarkets!) Depends what you're looking for I guess - this is certainly an easy place to be, and not a culture shock - and very difficult to leave! However seeing the folks only once every couple of years is tough hence why we're planning on heading back. I guess if you're only thinking of a short term adventure that might not be a problem. Personally I would love to try a stint in the US next - but couldn't bear the stingy annual leave! Good luck on making your exciting decision!

Oh.... and Charlotte (Lottie cute, but risk of Charlie which doesn't appeal to me)

Ah - love thinking of girls names, have no idea whether or not they're in the top 100 though! Elodie Layla Rowan Marnie Isla Ivy Of the above also love Constance & Elizabeth (so many lovely variations - Lizzy, Eliza, Beth, Betty, betsy, great if you want choice later on)!!!

Good progress Ruth! We're still struggling, but maybe it's because we're not trying anything different. Little miss is usually overtired after daycare (even though she naps for about 1.5 hours there!), freaks out over bath etc..., goes insane when we try and leave the room (after books, soft music playing, nightlight on). Might fall asleep by 8pm if we sit with her- then she'll sometimes have nightmares if was particularly overtired or just wake up around 3/ 4am with a start - and one of us is back on the floor in her room (she won't sleep with us). Plus, now she wont sleep in the day unless a daycare, but she's soooo tired, so entire afternoon is a write off! Doom, gloom! Is a bad to look forward to Monday mornings?? Yes, most days I have perspective and enjoy our time together etc etc... but some days can I just admit that this is bloody hard!

As another mum of a currently non sleeping toddler can I ask wise mum's "Arghhhh, WHEN will this pass?" All of a sudden, I break my little girl's heart every time I leave her for the night. In her case it's separation anxiety, and i feel for her, but I also feel for me lying on her bedroom floor each night! Sorry Ruth, no advice - but lots of empathy!

I'm surprised at the level of information (or lack of!!) that you seem to be getting from the nursery, and definitely recommend you ask to speak with the Manager. The daycare we use is no where near perfect, but they are really committed to engaging with the parents around the child's development - we get a log of eating/ sleeping during the day, parents evening, reports, daily 'diary' for her group which is then copied and placed in her own progress book, along with photos. They also have lists of daily activities, and the intended learning outcomes from these - which can be different for each child. Actually..... sometimes it's a lot to take in!! I know everywhere is different, but hopefully this gives a sense of other things they could be looking at doing. We find it really useful because it means we can reinforce some of what they're doing when we're at home... (except painting - they can keep that one!) Worth pushing and looking for a positive outcome if shes happy there, and the value of that can't be underestimated... good luck.

My little one loves veggie sausages (usually chopped up) - just 10 minutes under the grill - good for iron and protein. Mini quiches are sometimes acceptable to her. Strangely, mini arancini (sp?) balls (cooked from frozen in 10 minutes) have also gone down well. Latter not very healthy I don't suppose. She definitely favors the home cooked stuff, so I reckon they like to make us work ;-)

Thanks again for advice/ support. Susyp - sounds like our two are pretty similar, so I live in hope that my little one will come out the other side too - all the more mature and insightful because of it! We've been practicing 'taking turns', with the result that the other day she sat on the slide and shouted 'My Turn!!!!' to whoever dared to approach :-S Well, these are complex concepts for small people I suppose....

Thanks so much everyone for the practical advice, empathy and links/ further resources suggestions. The overwhelming view that it's a phase is really comforting to me! My husband has been saying that all along (cue 'I told you so', when I mentioned forum collective viewpoint!), but I think what shook me was the daycare feedback, as they obviously think it's something to be addressed. However, I get it now that this doesn't mean it's abnormal toddler behaviour, just not desirable! Really interested in how their little personalities develop and mature over time, and hoping that as others mention - as her language and understanding develops she realises that hitting is not the ideal method for adopting new playmates!! Shes actually the funniest little person I know so let's hope she maintains her comedic personality, without the roughing up of other babies! Thanks again all xxx

My toddler (21 months) is a lively and loving little girl, with an outgoing personality and a huge appetite for fun! She is also quite boisterous and physical, and very determined and headstrong. All great qualities when channeled in the right way, but in recent months she has developed a habit of hitting and pushing other children, and screaming and charging at them every time she feels they are encroaching on her territory (eg at the playground - on a piece of equipment she was using 10 minutes ago!!) We have tried lots of things: talking to her calmly on her level telling her it's wrong (she loves the attention of this though), giving her one warning and then leaving the park/ friend's house if she does it again (doesn't get it at all!), trying to ignore and distract her to do something else, ignoring her and pouring lots of attention on the injured party - but nothing seems to work. She just laughs and runs off and does it again. The (very) slightly better results have come from not making a dig deal out of it and distracting her, but this approach is not easy when you have other parents staring daggers at you (fair enough though!). All too often we leave a playground within about 15 minutes - and then struggle to try to fill the rest of the morning or afternoon with a solitary activity - a bit sad for her I think. Even her more like minded friends seem to have had enough. It's come to a bit of a head because she's doing it more frequently at daycare now (where she's been going 3 days a week for nearly a year) and is on report (!!!) - which i think just means they're keeping an eye on her! There they tend to try 1 minute timeouts on a chair away from the others, which she also finds funny apparently. The only time she does not do it (touch wood!) is in a little music class we attend - perhaps the structure and stimulation curb her appetite for mischief?! When she's there she is more into kissing others. Anyway - any advice?: What do I do???? How can daycare help with this/ manage her when I'm not there? Any good non playground activities anyone can recommend? Why is she like this? ("braces herself") Is she a future bully?? (personally I don't think so as she's so loving in fact I think she loves other babies too much and can't cope with the excitement, and never does it with menace, but obviously it's a concern!) Will she grow out of it? When? Thanks in advance for any insights. Honestly, I wouldn't change her cheekiness for the world, but this is starting to have a negative impact on her days and friendships :(

I'd tell myself not to even bother trying to establish a nighttime routine before 6 weeks, and a daytime routine before 12 weeks - I might do little things each day to give me structure, but not beat myself up that the baby is not complying!!! Yup - chuck a lot of books in the bin. Also - I would definitely take the bubs out in the evening in the early weeks - what's the point of all of us sitting around listening to crying?? Would spend more time cuddling sleeping little one rather than trying to settle her in a crib. I'm probably never the mum who can 'love every moment', but next time round plan to love a whole lot more.... Finally - a variation of the 'everything is a phase' theme - I would forbid myself from catastrophising (sp?) i.e. "we had a shocker of a night last night - so therefore none of us will ever sleep again".

The singapore bassinets seemed ok - but yes, we took her blanket for familiarity and comfort and we were glad we did. The bassinet we were given didn't have a hood or anything - so quite bright, and didn't manage to find a solution to that! You can buy one brand of formula in Oz in cartons, but if your little one is attached to their brand then better bring extra, as they don't have the same brands in Oz usually. And yes, no Boots equivalent, so need to buy in advance for the Oz - UK trip. Much easier to fly with young one I think - you'll be fine!

Hi - very exciting, but also lots to plan I guess! We did this flight and it worked best when we used the ready-made formula that comes in cartons. I sterilised the amount of bottles needed for the flight and put each one in a sandwich bag to try and keep them sterile (I think I was a bit mental!). There are also bottles you can buy that come packed and are pre-sterilised, but I was nervous my little one wouldn't take them as they were unfamiliar. If your preferred formula brand doesn't come in cartons, and if you don't trust that the water available on the flight will be properly boiled, then there is a company that sell 'sterile' water suitable for babies - will try to remember their name. 2 other tips - ridiculous Heathrow security said we had to taste 50% of the baby's food to prove it was just milk! We had to beg and plead not to do this (as we had planned the amount we needed pretty carefully), so in the end only had to taste 1 or 2 of them. Sydney security were fine. Finally - our bubs preferred warm milk and it wasn't always easy to get an attendant to heat it when we needed (or to the right temp), so maybe buy a bottle warmer for the flight if your little one also prefers a warm drink. Good luck, and enjoy the trip!

Rahrahrah - how awful for you and bubs. Not a lot of advice really, but sympathy and assurance that you'll find a way to cope and it will pass. There's loads of great tips here - you must be so tired that you don't know what to try next - so ruling out medical reasons for the waking with the GP is an obvious one which I'm sure you've ticked off the list, so sleep specialist/ sleep nanny who uses an approach you're comfortable with might be another good option. At that age my daughter responded to dreamfeed and routine before bed (the usual). I think we were also still wrapping her bottom half at that stage and tucking her under a tight sheet for security. To add to the general discussion which has developed - I echo others in emphasising how important it is to remember each bub and mum is different, and there is not one 'right' approach (Mini beany would laugh and joke for hours if brought into our bed - until it turned to hysteria and distress because she was so overtired!!). I think everyone agrees that CIO/ controlled crying isn't ideal for either mum or bubs but, as Poppy says, I do also wonder whether we should bear in mind the mum's health/ ability to cope with sleep deprivation and the impact of this on the baby. It's hard to predict how all of these might really effect you as a parent, even though we're told how difficult it is! Good luck!

As a coeliac vegetarian (!! I know!!) I second the haloumi idea, and you can get gluten free vegie sausages etc (usually from a health store). Maybe a rice salad would be good too - with raisins/ cashews/ veg? If you do end up cooking other stuff too, just ensure you cook the gluten free (and vegie) stuff on a clean part of the BBQ to prevent cross contamination (not to be fussy, it's just another inconvenient fact unfortunately). Lots of dips will fit the bill too, but not sure which will not contain garlic. Re the dessert - fruit is lovely, but don't assume the love of chocolate is any less in this group of people (I speak for myself ;) - if you would usually go for a sweet desert, then maybe a flour-less chocolate cake (check ingredients)? I think it's great you're thinking/ planning this so well - people with special dietary needs are often made to feel like 'fussy eaters' or that they have to take their own food everywhere (often our own choice based on experience!), so it's nice they'll be able to come to your place relaxed in the knowledge you've done your research! Also - alcohol is a safe bet as being gluten/ meat and garlic free :)