snowboarder

Sigh - I just find it doesn't seem to make any difference!! Dark/light hot/cool noisy/quiet....We just got back from holiday where it was mostly silent and didn't get light till 7 but had awful early wakes. Bit better now home and light (by better I mean 5.30...). To be honest I am beginning to sympathise with these babies - I woke up at 2am last night, heard the birds start at 3.20....and, well, I was ready for company at 5.30. Maybe bring 'em all round to me for the early shift! I do sometimes wonder whether he's thirsty - but I don't know whether he would have enough sense to find his water bottle if I left it in his cot. And need a non spill one. My husband thinks we should be able to rig up a hamster style upside down bottle to the side of the cot....

Whilst I like the teach 'em not to do stuff theory - either I am rubbish at it or baby snowboarder is particularly naughty! We have cupboard locks after he kept on gettin pans/plates etc out of all reachable cupboards and smashing them around - just couldn't stop him and started getting obsessed and having screaming fits when we tried to stop him....Also we move the cat food/litter out of the way during the day. Have stairgates more to contain him than for safety - he's fine on the stairs but otherwise he just belts upstairs and rifles through drawers etc. We didn't do a big safety fit though - just as he found things we followed. Weirdly he ignors the fireplace....

Seeing as we're just back from a lovely 2 week hols with the ever cheeky baby snowboarder, I thought I'd share my 2 lifesaver holiday tips...thought others could add theirs for the upcoming season maybe! 1. Take an easily portable/foldable booster seat! Bought ours from mothercare and was convinced was yet another of my mad baby gear stupid purchases, BUT used pretty much every day. Southern Spain doesn't seem to do highchairs it seems, and there is simply no way babysb could eat in his buggy like they expected him to! 2. Invest in Jojo sheet sleeping bag - much lighter than a 1 tog, perfect for hot nights. Sorry maybe these are obv to more seasoned parents...but...well, just thought I'd share!

No, I'm not very go with the flow at all really, esp seeing how long it has taken to get him to sleep in his cot. I quite like the 2 naps - mean you get to have lunch out then come home for sleep if you want, and also not so much pressure to have one big sleep - so if morning nap is short can catch up with post lunch nap. However if he keeps waking at 4.30am like last couple of days the morning nap is v needed....but then he chatted for an hour before going to sleep this evening! Honestly you just think things are settled...

Thanks all - Maybe I should research calcium intake...but who knows how much he gets from me anyway? In some ways it's not so much that he won't drink cows milk, it's that he doesn't really ever drink anything in any quantity - water he just sips a lot. Doesn't love smoothies. Yoghurt under protest and only from squeezy tube (hates spoons!). Will try and go with the flow on naps while away. To those on one nap a day - seriously - how do you manage on days out? Do they just have a shorter sleep and make do? Off to pack!

Sorry one post with 2 questions....off on hols and panicking....!! 1. - Naughty babysb seems to be weaning himself off breastfeeding at 14 months. Fine - pleased about that - he now only has a minute or two in the morning and maybe 5-10 before bed, he stopped all other feeds by himself (cried when offered!). But he won't drink cows milk at all bar maybe a few sips. If he stops b/f all together is it ok to not have ANY milk?? 2. - I think we are moving towards dropping the morning nap - not so much in that he won't go down for his 9am sleep, but that if he sleeps in the morning it takes ages to go to sleep for 2pm nap and I end up waking him at about 3.30, and again takes ages at bedtime. Any tips on how to make the transition from 1 - 2 naps? Go cold turkey? Make the morning nap v short (ut then poss v grumpy at being woken before sleep cycle finishes)? I can see us having a stupid mid morning nap and then being v tired in the evening - and it upsets 12.30 lunch timing!! Tsk and just as we're off for 2 weeks. Also - he's only been napping in his cot for the last could of months and now won't sleep in his buggy! Argh! Help....thank you!!!

Sorry guys won't be able to make it tonight...next time and have fun.

'They loved Peckham Rye and now we're in Streatham - way to go Phil' - genius Kirsty quote on location!!! Have to say I LOVE living centrally in ED. Think we will extend extend rather than move out - the countryside absolutely NO way (scares me), and I think I'd really rather not compromise and get 'more for my money' in Forest Hill etc (not being mean, I just love being near all the ED shops). Since having naughty baby snowboarder I appreciate being close to the action so to speak all the more - at first he screamed so it was great the shops were nearby and I could bail pretty quick if things got too hairy, now he's super wriggly so glad not to have to walk far or get on a bus with him squirming in the buggy.

Quick reminder - guests Sing and Sign will be visiting around 10ish tomorrow - as well as the usual tea, biscuits and chat...

Hi - no good advice but I am worried about this too for our hols in Spain! Do not understand why they cannot reserve you one - I am going to call the day before to try and make sure but it seems v weird system...

Oh I would really like to...but we are still having a 9am nap! I'll give you a shout when he drops it (14 months too so I can't believe it will go on much longer).

I could do either day really but maybe best to just choose one? Saturday has much better chance for me of hubby being home to babysit!

Make sure baby is sat really upright - some highchairs seem to make them slump and that does not help! Ikea basic with the blow up insert is perfect.

Linz has already clarified this on a previous thread some time ago... http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,315815,317883#msg-317883 You really were baking then?!?

Yesterday put baby monitor in the fridge and jar of pesto on counter....

Oh dooon't!! Our builders have been listening to a combination of magic and radio 2 all week (sorry, silvester rd!) and it's awful!!! Funny what these little ones pick up on isn't it. I have radio 1 on all day when I'm home (habit) but I couldn't tell you a single lyric/song title.....

Fuschia Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > You could probably have found a tactful way to > put an opposing viewpoint. That might be a litle > harder to do, following on from starting this > thread. Quite!! V strange to start a thread like this and drop heavy hints...I think I may have a vague idea what you are referring to l-t-e-c, but could be wrong - seriously I think now you might have to come out with it rather than all this dancing around?!?

Could potentially do the 6th!

I saw this yesterday and nearly posted. As with most baby related things these days it nearly made me cry. Awful.

Thanks for confirmation/info. Doesn't hurt to have a look I suppose. I don't know what the answer is re the assessments for some of the schools - especially if your child is very shy. We will see!

I don't want to talk about the pros and cons of private schools at all. It's just all this state primary school allocations stress has me worried and am thinking need to at least look at all the other options, and see whether we need to start saving our pennies NOW. Anyway - it seems the private options are just as confusing - can anyone who has been through this confirm if the following is correct? So - there are: 1. Pre prep schools like Herne Hill School and The Villa. They take children up to 7, and it's a case of getting your name down asap, yes? They don't cherry pick? 2. Dulwich College Prep School - which confusingly is not part of Dulwich College - and this is competitive entry? 3. Dulwich College has a junior section itself - but this is an early get your name down place? 4. Alleyns Junior School - competitive selection? Is this right? Are there other options? Gah! With the early get your name down places it seems we would be a bit late whatever - babysb is 14 months and Dulwich College said they are onto a reserve list for 2013/4 entry!! I'm really not sure we could afford it without me selling my soul and working all the hours, no holidays etc, but feel it's worth considering the options...

Are 0.5 tog grobags worth it do you think? There's quite a difference (obv!) between the 2.5 and the 1 togs - but can't believe that the 0.5 can be that much lighter than the 1 tog. Jojo's do what they call sheet sleeping bags - maybe better? Am now thinking ahead to hols in a couple of weeks.

Oh no I can't make it either - forgot wednesday was good forum meet up day! Next week...

Oh yes the ice cream van!! Arrives here around 7.30 and I seriously consider going out and telling him to SHUT UP!! Don't they realise my baby is trying to sleep?!? Honestly...

Last year's summer passed in such a haze I don't think I noticed anything different - the difference between having a newborn and a 13 month old I suppose!! Anyway. The hot weather seems to bring MORE troubles....any tips from the more seasoned parents?!? 1. Hats. How to convince naughty babysb to keep his on. It's a hilarious game to pull it off, and use to collect mud... 2. Hot bedroom/windows/what to wear overnight. Can't open the window in baby's bedroom as a) our cats climb in and b) v noisy screaming child next door. So the monitor is saying ALERT it's 25 degrees!! Argh! 3. Sunstroke/heatstroke. How to tell whether drinking enough? Paranoid about sunburn etc.... New season new dilemmas!!