jennyh

My daughter is at My Favourite Nursery on Upland Road and loves it. The staff are all very sweet and caring and they have a good routine of fun and exciting things to do, they follow all the necessary EYFS guidelines so she has focussed play, decent food, one-on-one support with her development and lots of other children/hustle and bustle around her. They do have a garden with slides and swings etc but it is tarmac and walled, depends on whether you wanted something greener and less urban! It has only been open 18 months or so, I think when she started last September there was no real waiting list but it has since got very popular and like most nurseries they have a fairly long waiting list for Mon-Thurs, I think friday is free, not that it helps much. There are lots of other parents with children at the nursery on this forum so if you do decide its a contender then there should be lots of advice/opinion.

Brockwell park was on on Saturday but some of the pumps were a little slow by mid afternoon! Fountains were still on though.

I really feel for you and echo what everyone else says. My daughter was a pretty bad sleeper and wouldnt settle when she was really little and it was hellish. Like others I went to bed super early, my other half did a bottle feed around 10/11 and then I was on duty for the night. Your relationship goes out of the window but then you both need sleep and rest to function so you can get that back on track when the time comes! My daughter had a dummy which really helped for a few weeks but when she was about 14 weeks we took it away because she became so dependent on it that she woke every 30 mins when it fell out. For some I have heard that dummies were very successful and really not the end of the world when it comes to habit forming, frankly if something helps now I would say use it and deal with the aftermath later. We did sleep training when we felt we knew her hunger cues well enough and then she became a great sleeper until about 7 months when she decided it was more fun to be awake in the night...she is now 17 months and has periods of being great and awful, always connected to teething, illness, clinginess, sensitivity etc. At 4 weeks your little one is getting used to being in the world and everything is so new, it really isn't a case of this being the way he is and he will change for sure. In my limited knowledge they seem to become a bit better around 3 months (in the case of my 12 week neice this has certainly been the case...lots of unsettled evenings and nights, masses of screaming, hating the moses basket, wanting cuddles all the time, cluster feeding etc. Hits 11 weeks and suddenly slots into place a bit better.) Obviously all babies are different but I think that you will find it naturally comes to a better place. Obviously weeks probably sounds like it is too long for you to wait. The other thing is that your hormones will be all over the place (no-one ever warned me about how lousy and tearful I would feel!) and that doesnt settle down for a few more weeks. After that you really do hit a natural stride, and you will feel more capable of dealing with a few hours of sleep as your body gets used to it. Like others have said, forget the house chores that need doing for the time being as you need rest and lean on your other half for lots of support. It WILL get better, all babies I know have had their various issues with sleep but as a parent you do get coping strategies and can deal with them and the associated exhaustion much better.

Hi I could really do with some advice from anyone with experience in the above capacity please!! Do PM me if you mind lending me your ear! Thanks Jenny

LondonMix Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Compelled by their addiction, drug addicts engage > in behaviour that most people wouldn't want in > their neighborhood including crimes of opportunity > such as theft / robbery, drug-use itself, and > unpredictable / anti-social behaviour when high. > Sounds pretty scornful to me. You state an apparent fact here, if perhaps you used the wrong words then maybe clear it up, otherwise you will many people read it the same way as I have. It is a sweeping statement in my opinion and I look forward to the facts that back it up. I don't think anyone doubts that drug using can go hand in hand with crime but then crime occurs in many forms and frankly it is a touch short-sighted to say that all drug addicts are criminals. Also, if this centre shouldnt go in crystal palace road then where should it go? If you don't want it on your doorstep then whose doorstep should it go on?

I think it's really sad that people can be so prejudiced against drug addicts rather than praising those who wish to minimise the danger to themselves and others by using a needle exchange. Surely having more of these facilities can only be a good thing as it encourages users to be safe and if it s a convenient location then I don't see the problem. As Sue mentions, not all addicts fund dugs through crime and frankly if you look on the forum on any day you will find a wealth of crimes committed, the area isn't as rosy as some like to believe. East Dulwich is a community, it's inclusive of all people and prejudice doesn't help to promote a neighbourly spirit. I hope all those who judge and heap scorn on addicts never find themselves in a position where they struggle emotionally, mentally or financially. Imagine how wonderful life would be if everyone had lovely jobs, a balanced home and a happy childhood. These matters need to be out in the open to support people with their recovery and not make it so shocking or shameful. I presume you pile the same amount of negivity towards the homeless or rowdy groups of 'youths'?! And I have a toddler who goes to a nursery, I think that if I spent my life trying to protect her from 'undesirables' I would never take her out! Personally I want her to grow up having appreciation for all people and understanding, not to look down her nose at people or hide behind the curtains. Plus if you've seen the metal gates and entry system at gumboots you will see how regulated visitors are, exactly what are the addicts going to be doing?? And I would support a pharmacy on site as people who are ill or dragging around toddlers and kids would prob find it more convenient. However I also agree that the surgery have lots of other issues to address first!

Think it sounds brilliant, mornings are always the time we need to get out and keep busy - from 9.30-11.30 usually! Mine is 17 months old. Can you do it Thurs or Friday!??

Yep I am also experiencing this at 17 months. My daughter is a delight for everyone else and when I am not around, the first sight of me and she turns into a demonic child, constant whinging, throwing herself on the floor, wants to be picked up and carried around all the time. I am trying not to respond to it as much as possible but like you say it is hard. She rejects her dad if I am there, there has to be some serious distraction going on for me to sneak away. She is in a real stage of testing the boundaries with everything, holds things over the floor and looks at me to see if I will stop her dropping it, throws herself around in her high chair, wont eat anything except yoghurt, wants every single toy under the sun but then gets bored after 10 seconds. Its quite testing. Im also hoping its a phase thats connected to her development. I get the feeling at the moment she is really learning huge amounts, her speech has come on loads but she gets frustrated if I don't understand her new words straight away, she's practically walking but won't do it on her own despite being capable etc. Think there is a lot going on in the brain! Also had disturbed sleep etc. Hope that it passes for everyone!!! keep reporting back!

As it says really...no cars being accepted into the car parks, so if you have a car park ticket what you thinking of doing????

If you dont necessarily want classes but just want to get him in the water then either the peckham pulse hydrotherapy pool is good (very warm like a nice bath!) or the East Dulwich leisure centre pool is good too (Saffron - it might have improved as I don't really like water and hate cold water but I am fine in this pool...is luke-warm I would say, like a bath when youve got out and its been left for 20 minutes or so!). Both have specific jelly baby sessions if you search for the leisure centres you can see the timetable at the side of the page. only thing I would say is that the classes do get filled up quickly at times so you have to be early!

Ha yeah I know Ali, just being picky as always! Wouldnt be parent if I wasn't over-thinking something though eh? And you've also seen her dad and his thighs...poor girl. I did think about Corwin & Bess' post paddling pool dinner at the weekend, I do sound a bit bonkers in retrospect but sometimes you can't help trying to improve something that requires no intervention at all! T

Thanks Saffron, great advice and comment. I appreciate your message of goodwill! I think you are right that my attitude to her eating is definitely a big contributing factor. Yesterday we made more fun out of breakfast time and then at tea time I actually gave her a plate and sat down with my own plate and started eating, she looked at me like I was bonkers and waited for me to offer her some, after a minute or so she started to eat herself. Didn't last long but then was happier for me to pop bits into her mouth whilst she did her usual drawing! Will keep trying to keep an open mind about it all and see where we go. Funny what you say about your OH, mine genuinely has no real interest or understanding of what our daughter eats or how. Occasionally he will do a mealtime but has never shown much thought in what she is having, making sure it is balanced, seeing if she actually eats it, does she get enough dairy etc. We probably balance each other out well! I have left the Picky Eater article open on the computer in case he decideds to take a look at it, won't hold my breath!

I have a plug in vapouriser/humidifier to help with steam inhalation if you want to borrow it for a night and see if it helps? I sometimes add some sweet thyme oil to it to help with congestion. This one - http://www.tesco.com/direct/vicks-humidifier/207-5376.prd?skuId=207-5376&pageLevel=&sc_cmp=pcp_GSF_Baby+Safety_207-5376 I use it a fair amount so might not be able to go without for too long but if it helps I would suggest its a good buy. The only downside is that it does make the room steamy and therefore quite warm and a bit wet but in short-term use you can just dry off the walls etc. Otherwise have you tried to lift the head end of his cot? If you think about how you cough when you are lying flat and how it is better when you are propped upright...same thing applies. You can tell we have a baby who has a permanent cough/cold!

No wise advice a I'm in s similar boat with the same age and lots of hitting and slapping thrown in..will read the responses with a lot of interest!

Thank you both, great links and suggestions. I am going to start tomorrow afresh and see where it takes us! will also get a teddy cookie cutter for sandwiches as it is one of her favourite words!

Thats a good idea, I suppose because she goes to nursery 3 days a week I got bogged down in thinking she had to be more routined and eat when they eat and she did seem to naturally fall into a breakfast/lunch/tea structure and is generally hungry at those times. She is a very good eater at nursery and I imagine this is down to being around all the others. I will try and eat something with her as well and make more of an effort to show her food is nice and fun etc. I think I have just been lazy! To be honest I do beat myself up a bit because I feel like I was always too militant about food and got quite worked up and obviously she will take that anxiety from me. Just want her to have a good relationship with food and so will definitely give us both a bit of a break. She's no tiny thing so it wont hurt her to lead us a bit with what she wants and if she eats less. I will try your ideas for sure, I did actually bring her dolly to the table a couple of times and we took turns in feeding the dolly and each other, we both seemed to enjoy that.

Hi We have a 16 month old who is an ok eater but doesn't eat a lot and has always been a bit difficult, lets just say not a natural eater. She often throws wobblies, there are lots of things she wont eat etc, nothing new there I am sure. The issue I am having is that I fell into a trap of using lots of distraction methods to get her to eat when she was weaning as I (wrongly in my opinion) worried too much about quantities etc. Given my time again I would do things a little differently but my current dilemma is that I worry she doesn't engage with her food and mealtimes and want her to learn abuot her foods as she is at a very inquisitive age. She sits at the table and I usually sit with her although rarely eat myself other than a few bites here and there to encourage her. She has always had toys to play with, drawing, tv on (lots of demands for 'choo choos' every mealtime and food has been secondary to the other activities around her. She will often take cutlery and play with the food, try and feed herself etc and she will feed herself fruit/pasta/finger foods etc using her hands but she gets bored after a couple of minutes and then wants to do something else and either I am lucky and she opens her mouth to me feeding her or she clamps shut and refuses to eat anything and gets frustrated. Then after the meal she often makes demands for snacks and breadsticks etc so I know she didnt eat enough. i really want her to start enjoying her meals and making enthusiastic noises when she has things she likes. She does love fruit and will often ask for pears,apricots and raisins and eats them with lots of excitement but savoury is always more of a drama and really I just feel sad that she can't be bothered to look at the food or investigate it. I have always encouraged her to feel all her food, and try to feed herself most things but she is so used to doing all the other activities that she has very little interest. Any tips on what to do?? I have tried to stop giving her the toys/turn off the tv etc but she gets so irritated after a few minutes at the table that she is trying to escape the chair and throwing a tantrum and so the mealtime is over before its begun. I wander if anyone has come across some sort of ingenious plate or something that has fun pictures or something that encourages them to eat the food to look behind etc? She is quite bright for her age and is very good at imaginative play, she spends ages playing 'house' with her teddies etc and can articulate herself very well with words so I hope that maybe I can actually try some sort of tactic to teach her about how food can be fun without just throwing it around and eating nothing (as we have had with most foods when given to explore). Also tips for good foods to engage them a bit more? She has got molars and is good at chewing most things but I tend to usually spoon feed her things like chunky veggie pasta, risottos, eggs and beans, mild curries etc. She gets bored feeding herself after 2 mouthfuls and then goes hungry filling up on rice cakes an hour later. Oh wise forumites, please advise!

Thanks everyone. yeah i did think about the fact I would have no ratings..hmm, not much I can do about that! Thanks for all the other tips!

I have a load of stuff to sell on eBay (mainly shoes/fashiony stuff) and not sure if there is knack to it or just a case of posting it up and hoping for the best. I've not got masses of spare time so I had considered getting someone to do it for me but would rather avoid the cost. Sorry if I sound like a numpty, just want to give it a good shot rather than letting my once worn ?300 shoes go for 5p!!!

We had awful weaning experience as well, if you search my name you will eventually come across the original posts when I was frantic. My daughter is now 16 months old and is still a funny thing when it comes to eating, she decides exactly what she wants and will point blank refuse if she isn't in the mood and so I have had to learn to just go with that. Some days she will wolf down a huge portion of macaroni cheese and an entire nectarine, the next time I try she will purse her lips and refuse...no reason for it other than the other circumstances really. if you daughter is a good weight then I really wouldn't worry too much. It's easy to say and I was also fraught with worry and stress over weaning but in retrospect there are more significant things to think about and in my limited experience these things change from day to day and week to week. I see that your daughter will go to nursery, mine went at 8 months and I am thrilled to say that after a couple of weeks fussing she now pretty much eats everything they give her and has done for months. She plays up at home and wont eat for me but there is definitely something to be said for the nursery environment encouraging good eating habits. Try not to worry, she will eat and will suprise you!

Yeah I am but half-heartedly! I will def do that, as usual I'm trying the forum first!

Bit naughty as I am posting in 2 sections but as I post most regularly on here and its relating to working motherhood... Before having a baby last year I was a fashion PR with around 5 years of experience. In order to find myself some work that fitted in with childcare I registered a company called The Little Communications Company with a view to building my own agency. For the last 3 months I have been working 3 days a week for a couple of clients across fashion and children's goods but these contracts have come to and end and I am thinking about what happens next as I have had a few issues over the last few months! I have learnt that I don't like working by myself and I don't like working from my home so I am putting a message out there to see whether there is anyone else in a similar position who would potentially like to get on board. I have no idea how it would work, it could either be working together in the same space and sharing ideas and thoughts or working together to get clients on board and sharing the workload. I couldn't pay a salary so that person would need to bring business with them or earn what they bring in from new clients. Does this interest anyone? Bit of a longshot I know but I thought worth extending in case there is someone else who would like a shot at building an agency!

Always weetabix here as mine went off porridge like yours. She sometimes has it warmed a bit, occasionally with a blueberry or two floating around. At nursery I think they give rice krispies sometimes as well but usully stick to weetabix.

I always understood the need to sterilise as being more to ensure there is no trace of milk left as that can be the harmful bacteria, as long as they have been thoroughly cleaned then that should be fine. Although I continued to sterilise for a year out of laziness to wash up and not having enough bottles to put them through the dishwasher and not wanting to put the dishwasher on every day!

Hmmm, my limited knowledge/experience ends there I'm afraiid. Maybe just pop along to the doc for reassurance and actual medical help! :)