nunheadmum

Is this the work that's going on in Peckham Rye Park too? I saw they were digging up the ground on Tuesday but haven't been there since. 'Naturalistic lines' sounds interesting!

We use Nature Care size 5 (or 5+ - not sure but think there's only one size 5 option in Sainsbury's) on our 20mth and she seems fine in them - she drinks about 5-6oz of milk right before bed. Often sleeps on her tummy too. They are normal nappies rather than the pull-ups. I think with our first we kept her in normal nappies at night long after we'd changed to pull-ups during the day.

Plans at Goose Green for Peckham Rye Park?? Either we're mixing up parks or it sounds like a Southwark Council classic!

Anyone know how long the work at the playground is due to take? Is it only resurfacing or something more? We were headed there this morning but it looked like they were taking up all the soft rubbery flooring. I'm presuming it's being replaced but just wondered it's any more than that.

If it's at the end of a bad cold and the eyes aren't red, it could just be the virus working it's way out - the noses and eyes are so close then they're that small. That's what our GP always tells us and sure as fate, a few days of bathing with warmish water and it passes. We've had the drops once and they were impossible so I'm more than happy to avoid them if we can. Is Brolene meant for conjunctivitis or does it just soothe? The little ones do look a sad sight when their eyes are all stuck together so knowing things that help is always useful.

If it's any help, even Night nannies gave up trying to get my little one to sleep decently in the day! They sorted her out in the night but like yours she wouldn't sleep longer than 30-45 mins in the day. In the end I went with her on the proviso that the nights stayed ok. We were putting her down mornings at around 8.15-8.30 if I remember right - as soon as we spotted an eye rub or a slight yawn. I think she had 3 or 4 short sleeps - but that was around 5-6 months. SHe carried on with 3 short sleeps for a bit and then I think around 12 months or so started taking 2 longer 1 hour sleeps. She's only just started taking a proper lunchtime sleep now since around 18months. If the buggy sleeps work for you and the nights are ok, maybe that's just what your LO is like. I felt better when on the Gina Ford site I read a response from her on one topic that said some kids just won't fit into the standard routine and you just need to go with what works for them until they're ready to change. So guess some kids break even the queen of routine!

Would it work to give him a morning nap and then a slighly later lunchtime nap, more afternoon nap? I remember my youngest was on this kind of schedule for a while - sort of 9am and then 2 or 3-ish. Was awful for socialising as eldest went down at 1-3 and then youngest went down as she got up. But it's what seemed to suit her.

I understand the 'rite of passage' bit. My first was an elective c-section as she was breech and it was lovely - she was delivered onto me and I totally remember the whole experience. For the second I strongly wanted to go VBAC and fought for it as I felt I'd missed out on something, not having given birth naturally first time. In the end though the natural birth experience was nothing like I had hoped for (I had to fight not to be on the bed and monitored all the way due to being VBAC & other issues) and I hardly remember giving birth in the end as I was exhausted and angry at the care I got. I really wished I'd had another c-section which would have been much nicer. I guess what I'm saying is to remember that not all c-sections are bad and not all natural births are good. Both can be a positive experience and that rite of passage may not be all that we build it up to be in our heads. We shouldn't beat ourselves up for not having acheived what we think of as being the 'perfect' birth experience or build it up into something it might not be in reality. I've only seen bits of the show (hubby can't bear to watch it - says going through it last time was bad enough) but it sounds like it is good for showing that it's the end result that really matters, not how you get there.

The first MMR doesn't give full immunity - it's only something like 80%, I believe. The second brings it up to much closer to the 100% you'd think vaccination gives. With current non-immunised levels, the first dose is leaving kids more exposed than they were meant to be so they are encouraging parents to bring forward the second dose to give greater immunity sooner. My question is two fold 1. Does anyone know why there was traditionally a delay - one would think that it's better to get fuller immunity sooner rather than waiting till pre-school, so why has there been the delay till now? 2. Has anyone given their little ones the second dose so close to the first and did they notice the same reaction to the second as they got to the first dose? (The MMR is the only jab either of my LO's reacted to, albeit at a low level that was inconvenient rather than any great issue.) As others have said, I accept the concept of vaccination and I'm happy to get my kids their jabs and don't want to discuss the validity of that. I'm just trying to get to the bottom of some practicalities.

We've been told we can have the MMR booster (normally pre-school) from as little as a month after the first dose. I understand the reasons for the booster etc. What I've never been able to work out is why it isn't normally offered much closer to the first dose. Has anyone had the two doses close together - did they react as much to the second as they do to the first? That's the only reason I can think of for why they wouldn't have been offered closer together as standard.

If your daughter is asking to stop wearing them, it may be worth giving it a go and seeing how she goes for a few nights. Our daughter did this probably around the same sort of age, saying herself that she didn't want her bedtime nappy. I thought it was a bad idea as her nappy was still wet in the morning but dad was doing bedtime and went with her. She wet the bed two or three nights in a row but it seemed more as if she wet it just as she woke and after talking to her about it and saying to remember when she woke to go on the potty, she was then dry. We've had the odd mishap since but usually it's only when she's had a big drink before bed - we generally try to avoid any big drinks from about 1-1&1/2 hours before bedtime and always get her to go to the loo before bed. Hope that helps!

Could you try one of the Bunny alarm clocks to encourage her to stay in bed even if she does wake? My eldest (almost 4) has had one for a while now and it worked wonders for getting her over that early morning issue. If she wakes, she understands that she can't get up if Bunny is sleeping. She usually gets woken early these days as our 20mth old is waking around 6am. But as long as bunny is asleep, she lies there and usually drifts back off to sleep. There are 2 main types: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sleep-Bunny-Alarm-Clock-Childrens/dp/B000EQGU9K or http://www.babysleepshop.com/acatalog/Sleepytime_Bunny_Clocks.html If your little one really isn't going to go back to sleep, could she be encouraged to stay in bed with a toy or dolly (probably too dark for a book). My eldest does that at lunchtime for her rest and sometimes will end up drifting off to sleep if she needs it. Even if she isn't sleeping, she'll be resting a little more and (more importantly!) you can stay in bed longer! I've tended to find that once they start to get more sleep, they start to want more. It's just finding a way to get them the extra sleep to start with.

My 20mth old loves playing with the toy cooker and play food - she's loved it for months already and it's something she can do more now with big sister too. Similarly a tea set too. And she ADORES the cash register....lots of bits to take out and distribute around the house, share with us etc. Buggies and dollies too. And doctors set. Really lots of stuff that we never got for no1 until she was much older. No 2 doesn't play with it all properly right now and somtimes just loves emptying the bits out and fiddling with them. But slowly she's getting the hang of things as she copies big sis.

Her face must have been a picture, Molly! I'm probably going to give in and get one, just for the variety I guess as she has other simple ones. As you say though Gubodge, the simple ones do it all anyway in her mind. (She's not long started all the imaginary play with them and I still find it so entertaining to stand out of sight and watch her!) Next question though is....when do they finally learn to dress dolls by themselves??? I'm driven mad by, now both of mine, stripping every doll they get their hands on within seconds and then handing it to me to dress again. I'm sure the older one could do it if she tried but maybe I'm expecting too much and should just enjoy the fact that she wants to involve me while it lasts!

My eldest is coming up to her 4th birthday. She's besotted by her dollies at the moment and has come across Baby Annabel in a catalogue that came with a doll she got at Christmas. (Correction, doll her little sister got but seldom gets to play with!!) I'm just wondering whether one of the real-life ones are really worth it? Okay, probably not worth as much as you pay but do the kids actually play with them differently than they would a simple one? I remember a friend saying her daughter got given one that could wet it's nappy - but the nappies cost a bomb so she had to disuade her daughter from doing it (as even standard nappies could mount up in cost!). I'd probably do the same but it seems unfair to give her something but not want her to use it fully. I'm generally of the 'less is more' frame of mind but open to be persuaded otherwise if they do really get more from them. And if so, are there any which are particularly good - or particularly awful? (I'm thinking as a parent who'll have to listen to it from the sidelines!)

I don't know for sure but having been jumped on at the One O'Clock club for taking a photo of my own kid on my phone, I would guess the same policy would apply in a Southwark library. I imagine it may depend on the day to some extent on the staff, how busy they are and how much they see it as an important issue for them to deal with...particularly if they are librarians and not kids specialists.

Our 20mth old had it for around 5 days. She was being sick about every 6-8 hours and would perk up after being sick and eat and then gradually get more whiney and clingey until she was sick again. She slept a lot too. But then my almost 4 yr old was over it in less than 24 hours. Needless to say, my husband has been complaining of feeling dicky since my youngest came down with it and now over a week later, is acting like he's on his last legs, tho hasn't been sick. Just wondering if my stomach is cast iron or is it all a matter of time!

Yes, Holmbush was the one. I thought it great for younger ones as the soft play is small and rather tame for older ones - so it doesn't get the crowds of older kids that Godstone Farm gets. And you could wander around outside with your coffee. Outside play area is great - but probably not so good in this weather.

I'm sure we went to a kids farm which was around Gatwick and was great for young ones - it had a small soft play and was quite low key compared to Godstone park. I can't remember the name of it - though think I've posted about it before. Think I found out about it on the Sussex version of Netmums. That's probably a good source of other options too.

I was just thinking last night when my LO was shouting in the night that I would post on this about Night Nannies. We used them when my second one was about 4 months - it had taken us till 18 months to get our first through the night at all and at 2.5yrs she was still waking about 3 out of 5 nights and our second had started waking about every hour and needing milk to get back off. We were utterly exhausted. They aren't cheap - about 100 quid a night. But sooooooo worth it and it only took 2 nights of input - indeed the second was a bit of a waste as my LO decided to sleep through!. There was lots of talking around the issues too - before we took her on to agree an approach, in between the actual night visits and afterwards - which weren't billed but worth so much. In our case - perhaps a little like you Snowboarder - we had daytime issues too and they were ultimately linked. The Nanny helped me to trust my instincts and ignore all those little niggly doubts that ended up leading me into the problems we'd been having. We did use controlled crying but it didn't last long (about 1/2 hour max) and was so much easier to handle with a professional reassuring you. And in the end, one night of crying saved so many shorter bouts which normally happened during the day. Afterwards my LO was so much happier when she was awake. I'm happy to tell you more if you want. But if the price isn't a deterrent I would say it's well worth investigating. It's not a one solution fits all approach - it is tailored to your needs and those of your little one. It really helped me to stop feeling that I was a useless mum. And my little one slept so much better.....and more importantly, so did we. For more info on this go to www.night-nannies.com

Is it just me or does it sound totally rediculous in this day and age that the signals can't be adapted to include a pedestrian phase? Computers can fly aeroplanes but can't do a 5 phase signal???? Or am I missing something crucial? And if lights are being worked on, just how far are pedestrians meant to walk to find a safe place to cross? With the lights on Peckham Rye / ED Road, coming from Nunhead, where were we meant to go to cross the road safely - all the way up to the zebra, halfway up the common? Realistically, how many are likely to do this? I'm usually good at seeing the other point of view but I'm failing miserably on this one!

Telegraph Hill One O'clock club is open on Saturday mornings. Popular with dads from what I hear.

We had this problem too with eye drops and never found a way to do it that wasn't a fight and left us feeling like we were being awful to them. Then our GP started saying that there's no point in giving eye-drops if it's the result of a cold as it's viral and it's just the cold coming out - it'll pass as the virus passes. So now if it happens we just keep the eye clean by wiping with cool boiled water - much easier. Getting the nursery to accept that explanation was a bit harder but they are usually fine as long as we take her to the GP and have it verified as viral and not bacterial (which is when you need the drops, I was told). Always possible that another GP would have another approach - but this one has worked for us and saves a lot of struggling.

Just a thought - beware of kids getting car-sick in taxis. If you haven't done the trip out of London in a car before, it's a prime journey for a pukker with lots of stopping and starting and taxi drivers aren't known for giving a smooth ride. Baby covered in sick isn't a good way to start a holiday. I speak from bitter experience!!

Thanks, great to hear I'm not mad for thinking of it! Good idea about having her own bedding which can move with her. And that bedguard is a great idea - much more workable than the big metal things which I guess wouldn't fit with a double bed. Thanks all round.