nunheadmum

On the treats front, I find my 2 will do a lot for 1 chocolate button in the morning!!! I'm still amazed by it but at least I don't feel toooo bad about using chocolate.

We did Brittany too on an overnight with a 2 and 4 year old and second Gubodge that it was great - much easier than we anticipated. 2 year old did manage to sleep in the lower bunk but we did take a wedge with us as she was relatively new to a bed. But she loved the experience and slept pretty well (for her).

Don't think it's church linked but I really don't know a lot. Found more on this thread from before: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,464900,464900

I was told a while back about St Mary's in Nunhead (Tel 020 7277 6255). It was a while ago and I didn't look into it further and not sure about ages etc but maybe give them a call.

2 things I really didn't anticipate 1. Just how much stress it puts on your relationship. All those little niggles that you easily ignore when it's just two of you (and then a good dollop more!), become so much more of an issue when you're sleep deprived and your patience is all used up by 7am. 2. Feeling like you come right at the end of the pecking order and only after EVERYONE else has had their pound of flesh from you. Even if you do get time for yourself, it's only after you've made sure everyone else is provided for. I think I did think of issues like this before I had kids but probably had idealistic visions of how I'd deal with it and didn't realise just how intense it can be.

I know that both of my two can seem pretty sweaty during the night - especially my 2.5yr old who at times seems to have pretty damp hair where she's lying on it. I've always put it down to the fact that the heating is still on and she's got a duvet to keep her warm later in the night. She never complains of being hot. If you've got any concerns though, why not give your doctors a call and ask even just to speak to them. Our surgery usually does this and it's a great way to run concerns past someone who knows - if anything really worries them, they'll tell you to come in for a proper appointment.

Could you try taking her to Mothercare or similar and letting her pick her own potty? My first was the same and wouldn't sit on a potty - she's not very physical and didn't seem able to work out the logistics of backing up to it. I was despairing as I knew she was ready. We went to Mothercare one day, not expecting it to have a blind bit of difference but she took a real shine to one and when I got it down, she backed up onto it as though she'd been doing it for years. My first is a big control freak too so maybe it'll help.

Is it Cathy Walton? She is one of the main bods but not sure if she's head.

Maki, I really sympathise with your lack of sleep and trying to work it out. Although I wouldn't say either of mine were the worst sleepers, we've never been totally consistent with being good. I do think development plays a big part in the early stages. I'm with samstopit on this one though and would suggest maybe more sleep than less. Having been through problems with both of mine, I always find the only real way to solve problems (going to sleep and waking during the night) was to get them sleeping better and long enough at lunchtime and having early enough bedtimes. It's hard when they're at nursery and you can't control how long they're getting there. We've been a bit lucky and either our problems coincided with long weekends or we've been able to take some time off etc to get a run of days to concentrate on lunchtime sleeps. But it always has been a help. I always feel that cutting out the day-time sleep early in kids is a bit like us adults when the kids first come along - you learn to cope with less sleep but you're really not operating at your best. And when those little brains are trying to learn and take everything in and make sense of it, I can see how it can be difficult for them to switch off if they've had to learn how to keep going even when they're tired. I'd recommend the kidsleep bunny clock too - it was a great help with both of ours. Somehow the kids seem to really click with the concept of bunny sleeping. (Backed up with a chocolate button or two in the morning if they go to sleep / stay asleep / don't wake early or whatever....even more effective!) Fingers crossed for you tonight!

My eldest is funny with pasta too - but she likes the shaped ones that Franklins do (one lot are trains, planes etc and the other kind I think is animals, in white, red and green mixed colours). We've then managed to move onto tri-colore fusilli, which is much cheaper in Sainsbury's! They also seem to prefer pasta cooked more than we do - not ready for al-dente yet. Swore I wouldn't get into that kind of thing before I had kids but.........

I won't even start on how hopeless my house is. But then, my mum was a useless housekeeper so I keep telling myself that as long as I don't let it get as bad as hers was, I'm doing okay. (Until my MIL is due to visit - then I panic!) The one thing I remember about being little though was the amount of time we spent out the house. Maybe not so much when I was pre-school and the older ones were at school but once they were home and weekends etc, we all played together outside, in each others' gardens or in the street etc with the bigger ones looking after the little ones etc. It must have made life so much easier for our parents - except for trying to get us back in at bedtime. I'm quite aware that my LO's will probably never have that freedom and as a result, I'll probably never have that peace! I'm pretty good at finding reasons not to feel bad about the things I don't get around to doing - probably too good!

Our eldest is bad for getting sick - bus to Peckham, car to Beckenham etc, etc. We use Travella homeopathic tablets from the health shop in ED (sorry name evades me for the moment). They've worked really well - got us almost all the way to Devon (and probably only stopped working as we don't tend to give the full dose all the way). The liners for the Potette work good for catching sick, if your LO is old enough to know what they're doing and catch it. (Handy to keep in your bag too for buses.) Otherwise we always have a potty in the back. If it's a sudden thing, maybe just get her ears checked in case there's any reason. Otherwise may just be that she's started looking around her more.

I've found that my 2 daughters behave better for haircuts at home. I used a pair of baby scissors to start with as I was too scared to use anything sharper. But generally have got a better cut myself than the hairdressers have managed. Key to good behaviour is the lollipop at the end. They'll do anything for one.

Excellent idea Molly. I feel like a real grouch all the time, telling my 2.5yr old to watch her tumbler. Will try mugs - got some I'm not precious about. Would just say, be careful which you use though. Hubby let the youngest use the mug that came with her lovely kids breakfast set. One broken handle later...... (still sitting on windowledge to be fixed!).

I agree that the nursery seem a little harsh expecting it of him at this age. My 2.5yr old is almost at the stage of being able to do it but my first has only recently got the hang of it. I would think a good nursery would have the techniques to encourage him if he was physically able, even if he only did it there and not at home. (My eldest did loads of things at nursery but not at home.) I'd suggest leaving it for a while, giving him a hand while dropping in opportunities (e.g. leaving out a vest or T-shirt while you nip into next room to get something) and dropping in the odd comment about being able to do it 'when he's a big boy' etc. Maybe once the pressure is taken off him, he'll see it more as something he wants to do.

To be honest, at 1 I would say to keep it simple. The party is really more for you and the other adults than the little one. I'd say, stay at home with a few family or friends with similar age kids, lots of balloons, maybe a sing-along CD you can join in with and some instruments, lots of crinkly paper for the kids to play with, maybe a simple game like pass the parcel (they'll love lots of wrapping paper and not care for prizes at that age!) I'm not sure what age the siblings are that you say will be there. If they're still pre-school then lots of balloons always seem to keep them happy and they shouldn't be too old to enjoy 'helping' the younger siblings with the songs and games and cake.

I haven't done Siblu but we went to L'Atlantique in Southern Brittany which is covered by Keycamp / Eurocamp / canvas etc but is run by French operator Sunelia. Our daughters were 4 and 2 and it was good - my eldest just asked yesterday if we were going back. Not the kind of place we would ever have gone when it was just us but with kids it was perfect - pools on site, 10 mins to the beach, local villages/towns about 10 mins by car. One tip is to try booking direct with the French operators rather than the UK ones. If it's out of season you may not get the kids clubs that the UK operators offer (but out of season, they're a bit low key and you have to stay with the young kids - which negates the benefit a little, I thought). But at ours you did get much better accommodation - better caravans, equipment, pitches etc. I think you do need decent weather to make the most of the pools. And a decent location with local villages or things to do in case the weather does let you down. Afraid ours was in Brittany so can't comment on South of France - probably a better bet at that time of year.

Might try the OJ and honey as she does like OJ (well, usually...nothing is usual just now tho). And bed is propped up tonight with extra pillow too. We've done the steam at bathtime before but she's refusing to take a bath at the moment. I did flip out with her a little earlier (probably scarring her mentally for life, I know but when I say 'I don't suffer fools gladly' as my biggest weakness at interviews, unfortunately I mean it!) and it did seem to help to bring her back on track a little. Just before she went up to bed she said 'I may need to cry a little with my cough'. To which I craftily anwered 'Well, that's good because now if I hear you I know it's just because of your cough and I don't need to rush up.' We'll see if that helps. (I know I'm clutching at straws but this would be our 5th night of having to go to bed at 8pm to keep her company....NOT a habit I want to encourage!)

My 4.5yr daughter has a really bad cough following the flu earlier in the week. She's geting herself in a real tizz about it which is keeping her awake at night as much as the cough itself. And generally she doesn't want to do anything '.....because of my cough' (said in a particularly high pitched whine). She's been checked by the doctor so we know it's nothing more than the flu taking it's course - she's on antibiotics due to a possible wheeze but it was precautionary as much as totally necessary. We took her to nursery for a couple of hours of distraction and they agreed that her behaviour was inkeeping with a child playing on something rather than a real problem as it was much reduced when she got distracted by play. But the reality is that she does have a tickly cough and if I could treat that, it might help. Does anyone know of any good options? She's been refusing medicines (copying little sister, grrrr!!!) and I doubt I'll manage to get calpol night into her. (Not totally sure it works on her either - Night Nurse never worked for me either.) I've tried giving her honey and lemon but she says she doesn't like it. I'm at the end of my tether a little. I want to help her but she won't help herself.

Couldn't believe it when my 4.5 year old, who hasn't been inside a McD's or similar since she was a couple of months old (and we don't eat them or see adverts etc), walked past a BurgerKing the other week and asked 'Mummy, when can we go somewhere that does yummy food like that.' So much for Annabel Karmel-esque weaning helping them appreciate decent food!!

This is going round our house too - youngest last week, me and eldest over the weekend. Really nasty one. Even Calpol & Nurofen wasn't bringing down DD1's temp. I've found SELDOC really good if you just want to speak to a GP. The GP calls you back anyway to assess if you need to come in and often will be just as happy to give advice.

No, not really worrying that much. She's due to start in Jan and we don't really have any other options so it will be a case of getting behind the school and making the most of what we find. The proof of the pudding and all that....

Thanks for all the suggestions. In the end we've just avoided it because she was sleeping not too badly and she was starting to get funny about even Nurofen. Now that seems to be the only thing she'll take. I even managed to get clear coloured paracetamol but she wouldn't take it either. I think she's just feeling so grotty that anything that isn't just as she wants it is sending her into hysterics. It's almost a matter of principle now!! I think we're going to try and get through this bout with just Nurofen and then try other things when she's back to her normal self and a bit more rational. It feels like she's suffering so much already that stressing her out over medicine isn't worth it - and runs the risk of her not taking even Nurofen which would be a disaster. My eldest is so different - as other have commented on theirs - she loves her medicine and I'm sure her current cough is to some extent put on so she'll get some! (Even though it is just honey and lemon.)

Goosemum - my understanding is that Ivydale was in special measures and they got a new head teacher in, local parents got behind the school and it has become a much better school. Everyone who is at the school that I talk to loves it and I see lots of positive things whenever I'm around the school - between toddler group, singing, ballet, school fetes, school visits etc, I've seen quite a lot of the school. It's just that against that, the SATS result is a bit of a surprise. I'm quite clear that it's the kind of school that isn't all about high marks in academic subjects - I'm just a little surprised that it was as low as it is. But the local parents are really involved and I'm sure I'll become one of them too. And hopefully it is just a small blip or there's a very good reason e.g. if they don't coach the kids for the exam - which I would totally support (unless there are long term downsides for the kids when up against other schoolkids who were coached). Fingers crossed, we have made the right decision and our DD will blossom in all aspects at the school. And at the end of the day, I went to schools that I'm sure weren't the high flyers of the day and I did okay because I had good support at home so, hopefully, she'll be okay wherever. But I guess it's a parent's perogative to worry about everything!

Sorry - don't mean to hijack the thread to be all about Ivydale. But if the governors can get so absorbed by one issue that the sats results suffer, problems are picked up by Ofsted and the head teacher leaves, that does get me worried. (A lot more than just the Sats news alone did!) But hopefully once my LO starts I'll be so taken by all the positives that I'm always hearing about, the great new head teacher (in addition to the existing excellent ones) and finding myself behind one of those tables at the next Fete, that in 6 months time I'll wonder what on earth I was worrying about!