KBN

Recommended! I've been going to Kate's Tuesday eve class and they're great. Perfect to wind down after work done and kids in bed! KBN

Have just bought stompa UNO bunks for ours

No they won't tell you- just ask you not to phone to try to find out.... Hmmm it does make choices difficult!

Perhaps I wasn't clear....We also got a letter on Thursday saying our child is on the waiting list ie if a place comes up will get it. I'm wondering what the likelihood of getting a place is. Has anyone been in this position and did they eventually get a place or not? Thanks

4 plus entry I'm thinking this most likely means no place. Any experience to back that up or to the contrary appreciated. If you got a place, when? The school gives out v little information about the list. Thanks in advance! K

JAGS seemed good value to me: bouncy castle and play equipment party in the sports hall for one and a half hours, bring your own food tho. ?130 for non sports club members for 20 kids, ?10 more if you want up to 30 kids (madness). They do football/dance parties and other things for older kids that might suit you - mine is only 3 so bouncy castle is great. our party is at end may tho so not able to speak from experience yet.... I also thought the per child price parties worked out expensive. Hope you have fun! K

We have a small almost 3 year old an 8 month old... and I like to walk fast and will probably get irritated by the board, which I accept BUT Is the Bugaboo board or Lascal/other board best for not getting under your feet (I'm small, 5'3 if it makes a difference)? I just can't push the Phil and Teds any more: boy is that thing heavy! Can both be folded up when not in use? Thank you! K

Have been every day since then: didn't notice any sign of the vandalism!

Hello, My brother has coeliac disease, and he and i have both been through how to wean as we have 3 kids between us, 2 newly weaned. Best advice is to call the Coeliac Society helpline: http://www.coeliac.org.uk/ They have the most up to date information on weaning. We were advised not to delay introducing gluten, i.e. do it between 6 and 9 months as normal, and obviously to watch for symptioms (pale, greasy smelly stools, stomach discomfort, poor weight gain)but to be aware that it can take quite some time for symptoms to show so don't assume that because all seems fine initially, coeliac disease is not there. it can show at any time. However, delaying introducing gluten too long can be a bad idea: if CD is present, the baby has to eat gluten for a while before tests can confirm that the problem is in fact a coeliac, and making an older child eat gluten is more unpleasant than a wee one who is just having small tastes. You cannot test for CD until a child has been eating gluten for at least 6 weeks in regular quantities, and a negative result now does not necessarily mean a negative one forever, so having a precautionary blood test is not recommended. I was v careful with my first child: introduced v small amounts from about 8 months. She, at nearly 3, shows no signs. My second is 7 months. With her, I introduced gluten from 6 months, and am watching. so far ok... I would say that GPs are not always brilliantly on top of advice re CD - tending to lump it together with advice on how to handle any allergy, so my advice really would be to talk to Coeliac UK in addition to the GP. And lastly, if your child does have CD, thankfully now it is no big deal: a gluten free diet is not a huge hassle, and my brother at 29 is a strapping healthy thing, having been diagnosed when weaned. Good luck and hope all is well! Feel free to PM if you'd like any more info. K

We had the same, and found something that worked a treat: my little girl loves tea sets and let's pretend. I offered the medicine to her as a "cappucino" in a play cup and pretended to drink from a cup too and she drank without any fuss. continued to work for the whole 5 days! was gobsmacked... i think it was the association with spoon/feeling unwell/parent trying to force something down her that was broken by playing... good luck!

One thing my singing teacher used to do with people who were not confident about pitch was to ask them to sing any note, and then find it for them on the piano. Once they saw over and over that whatever note or short tune they chose, it could be played back to them on an instrument, it have real confidence, and can make singing fun again. I'd also say try not to make a big deal of it i.e. try not to obviously start a lot of measures in response to his teacher's comment, or it might just increase his anxiety, but maybe to incorporate singing into everyday life more in subtle ways e.g. singing along to radio, or in bath, or along to christmas carols (good time of year!). Singing is such a joy, and for life, and I'm really surprised that someone who calls himself a singing master would undermine someone's confidence at such a young age.

The Cheeky Cs sounds great: is it on on any other days? K

Hi little H, It may not be what you want to hear, but might he not be ready for it? We tried with my daughter aged 2 exactly, and she was the same. Wd say when she needed a wee and hold it in, but got very distressed at the idea of using the potty, so we decided to call it a day. I did not want her getting a block about anything. She's now 2 1/2 and we re thinking about trying again, but gradually, rather than going cold turkey on nappies e.g. no nappy for 2 hrs before bedtime, using potty first thing in am, then building up. It might take longer, but hopefully be not at all stressful for her. Good luck: when it isn't going so well potty training is a horror! K

I have a beko gemini: bought after exactly the same problem - the babybjorn was uncomfortable. most of weight tken around hips so much more comfy.i think it is great: no complaints whatsoever and no newborn insert etc needed. bought when no 2 was about 7 weeks old. she loves it still at 16 weeks and i anticipate we'll use it well into toddlerdom. beko butterfly also worth a look.

Thanks, but I've had bad experiences with a torn maclaren that was not covered. any ideas if i do want to put the p and t in something? K

Has anyone done this? Is there a bag that the P and T Explorer packs into (have seen P and T do one, but at nearly ?60 seems a lot...)? Is there a non brand alternative, or could I beg borrow or steal one? My airline won't accept liability for prams not in suitable bag in hold... Thank you! K

Ruth, Another suggestion: The watery poo you are describing is one symptom of an overactive letdown/oversupply - basically baby gets too much of "skimmed" foremilk as opposed to "full fat" hind milk and gets gassy, fussy at breast, colicky, spits up often and passes watery poo. I have same problem and have been told is unlikely to be dairy related. These might help if you haven't alredy googled all in sight! http://www.breastfeedingbasics.com/html/oversupply.shtml http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html I'm feeding lying down lots and drinking sage tea to reduce supply if that helps at all... Hope you find the/a solution soon! K

Just to say that my brother (now a strapping 28) has coeliac disease, and had very similar stools to your baby (yellow, clay consistency, and stinky in a not quite normal stinky way), and it began to show itself at about 9 months. I would seek a follow up if the problem doesn't go away, and especially if you think it seems worse after gluten (which is in wheat, rye, oats and barley) just to make absolutely sure that it is not coeliac disease. If it is, it is no great disaster - just avoiding gluten, which is not too troublesome these days, but if it goes undiagnosed for a while it can be unpleasant for wee one. I hope it all clears up soon, and that it is just a bug after all!

Aha snowboarder - thanks for the tip - we are off to spain too which is why i am trying to get hold of a travel high chair. for those recommending handysitts, are they not too bulky to take abroad?

We are off on hols with our 15 month old shortly, and know there is no high chair where we are going. I have one of the cloth ones, which does not always seem to do the trick with us. Are there "travel" high chairs on the market, and if so , what would you recommend (ideally that packs away quite small). Thanks K

Think we have had it too. Little un vomited 4 times, I didn't so much but upset tum, nausea, as you say flattened for 4 days, off food and EXHAUSTED. In fact, have been feeling a bit flat/low after it, have any of you had that too? Hoping it will clear away soon, but am surprised that the after effect still seems to be hanging around 6 days after I first got it.

I need a new hood for my Maclaren Quest (it is torn). Does anyone have any idea where I can get one? Thank you K

Thank you all! Dumb question - can I get large bags at the airport to wrap things in or do I buy them somewhere here?

I'm flying with my 11 month old on Friday. I'd like to take our Maclaren and our back carrier. Is it true that you are usually allowed to take buggies to the gate before they are stowed in the hold? This would help greatly with naps. If we are made to check in the Maclaren, does anyone have any experience of the large rucksack style back carriers (with metal frame) being allowed as hand luggage... or not. It is a bit big, but I'm hopeful... Also, how do I wrap the buggy/carrier for the hold if necessary. Are there bags there, or should I find my own (somewhere...) I can't get anywhere with calling my airline (SAS). Thank you! K

Snowboarder I have the same thing with my 10 month old, but weird because she seems to know she is being cheeky - laughs like you say. She feeds quite well, then slowly drags my nipple out then bites. This has only started in the last week or so, just after her two top teeth (not centre but on either side..centre still to come) popped out. I have tried "no" and am quite firm, but don't want to put them away as she is v small for her age and needs her milk. Am not sure what to try, as I have read that scaring them when they bite can lead to a milk strike (which my littleun has also done in the past when teething).