poppy

That's really great news - thank you so much for keeping us updated about this. The extra trains in the evenings and on Sundays will be a massive improvement.

womanofdulwich Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > My duvet is 13.5, I no longer have a baby but why > is the sleeping bag 2.5? 2.5 togs is the standard sleeping bag thickness for winter for babies - it is fine! I thought it was a bit weird when I first had a baby too, but it is warm enough. I guess its because it's wrapped right around them and also maybe because babies are smaller so perhaps the thickness sort of scales down! Edited as I forgot my original point which was: I'd second the oil-filled radiator (works really well) and I've also been using a really thick blackout blind which velcros to the window frame so that also keeps drafts out, and adds an extra toasty layer behind the curtains.

A long shot but just wondered if anyone had found them? My son was wearing them when we went to the park yesterday at 4.30ish in the rain but they had vanished from his feet by the time we got home. Retraced my steps this morning to no avail. Feel slightly sick as they were new and a bit of an indulgence on my part - such lovely snuggly and warm sheepskin. *Sigh* I guess that'll teach me...!

Oops, sorry!!:-$

Ondine Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I just asked my daughters and they insist no such > books exist :). Despite the expert advice, I > suggest trying Jacqueline Wilson and Anne Fine. Um, yes they do... I wasn't claiming to be an expert (bit harsh Ondine!) and perhaps the books are not as popular as they were almost 20 years ago (gosh that makes me feel old!), but still in print and sold on Amazon. Perhaps Jacqueline Wilson is more contemporary though - not sure how Judy Blume holds up these days!

Another vote for "Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret". I also liked "Just as long as we're together", also by Judy Blume, when I was young. Couldn't remember the title so looked it up on amazon and this is the blurb: "Stephanie and Rachel have been best friends for years, in spite of their differences. Alison is new in town, and immediately becomes an integral part of their group. But is it possible to have two best friends? And how can you call anyone a friend if you can't tell them your most painful secrets?" I remember reading it when I was about 10 or 11, and really identifying with the descriptions of the ups and downs of friendships and the associated traumas at that age! In retrospect all very normal I think, but so very hard at the time!

Yes, thanks Molly - this was SUCH a great tip from you!!

I've been using the Nappy Lady's technique since she suggested it to me few weeks ago after similar battles and it has been working really well. Like you, Saila, I found it a bit unsettling at first to be physically pinning him down, but with your leg across their chest you don't need to use any force and you can combine it with distracting them with a usually banned plaything (mobile phone, keys, remote control etc work for us!) My boy is getting much better at having his nappy changed without wriggling away with poo all over the place and yesterday I didn't even need to put my leg over his chest. Definitely give it a try and then persevere - it works for us!

You've done brilliantly, it is SO hard! Yep, heading over in half an hour or so. Was crazy busy last week! x

Hi Ruth! If you are giving S a bottle at 10pm, one method you could try is to gradually dilute the formula and /or reduce the quantity, until he's just getting water. At nine months he doesn't need this feed, but at the moment is probably still genuinely hungry for it because he's used to a feed at that time. Therefore gradually diluting the formula will hopefully train him not to be so hungry until he doesn't bother waking for it. So the first couple of nights maybe try 75% formula and 25% water, then the next couple of nights 50:50, and so on. Or even more gradually depending on what you think might work best. As for pillows... I'm not really sure what the dangers are once they're mobile, but to be on the safe side you could try raising the head end of the cot mattress so that his head is still slightly elevated, by putting a rolled up blanket or towel under the mattress. Sounds as though he is heading in the right direction sleep-wise though - brilliant!

Ah, brilliant, thanks Molly! I shall try it tomorrow.

This week, amongst the usual chaos that is life with a boisterous nine month old, I had two minor triumphs of which I was rather proud: 1. I have been managing to keep him still and the right way up on the changing mat by offering him various normally forbidden objects to play with: my old mobile phone, a calculator, an empty Calpol bottle (I emphasise the word empty) and a redundant remote control. No longer does he attempt to crawl away with poo all up his back. 2. He ate his fish pie after I cunningly interspersed spoonfuls with random surprise spoonfuls of apple crumble. I know there are flaws in these strategies (potential choking hazards, not ideal to encourage playing with medicine bottles, apple crumble has sugar in, yadda yadda yadda) but hey, he's supervised and they work, so I thought I would share and in doing so, throw open the floor for other people's stealth parenting tips, particularly of the rather unorthodox variety that you won't find in The Baby Whisperer, Gina Ford etc etc. I'd love to know what other little tricks people have that make life a little easier!

Hi snowboarder, our milkman comes at about 4.30-5am I think. I hadn't thought of the risk of waking a little one until you mentioned it but my son's room is at the front of the house and he doesn't seem to be disturbed by it. When I've heard him he's not been very noisy - our milk comes in plastic bottles so no glass rattling going on. On a separate note, I remembered today that a dietician friend once told me that she'd been getting children making Angel Delight to encourage them to drink more milk. Don't know how you'd feel about the sugar issue but if you can bear the mess, making it with your little boy might be one way of getting some milk into him...?

Just checked my milkman's website and he sells/delivers little cartons of whole milk. The website is milkandmore.co.uk. I recommend him - we've had our milk delivered really early and reliably for over a year with no problems.

Hi Hannah, I have PM'ed you. In terms of classes / groups, there are loads in ED. We really enjoy Bumps and Babes on a Monday 10am-12pm at the Goose Green centre, Monkey Music (although that's just finished for the summer), and the free groups at the libraries (Rhyme Time on a Wednesday morning and Story Time on a Thursday at Dulwich library). Friends of mine also really recommend Baby Sensory. Hope you're feeling more settled in your new home - we really love bringing up our baby here.

We've got a brilliant blackout blind that you cut to size and then attach to the windowframe with velcro, so there are no gaps. It's pitch black even in the middle of the day, so much so that my little one was a bit freaked out at first so we now keep a night light on!! It's also been good at keeping the temperature a bit cooler than it otherwise would be with the sun streaming in. I got it online following a recommendation from someone else on this forum: http://www.easyblindsonline.co.uk/10.html

My son's room normally gets up to 26 degrees on hot days but since I've been keeping his blackout blind up permanently it hasn't gone above 21 degrees today. It's definitely made it easier to know how many clothes to put him in for bed. The blind is totally brilliant, I would recommend it anyway for its blackout properties but since it's been keeping things nice and cool I'm feeling really quite evangelical about it: http://www.easyblindsonline.co.uk/10.html

citizenED Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- . > Agree with poppy re the general good home/plenty > of love/good diet equals happy kids scenario Absolutely, but even if your children eat turkey twizzlers all day they still won't end up in therapy because of it! Being a good enough parent is all that counts (I do often have to remind myself of this BTW)

Good!!

I'm a child psychologist and while I haven't read Oliver James, I would say that anyone who loves their child and cares about not f***ing them up is highly unlikely to do so, so don't worry at all, littleEDfamily or ClareC! I work with children with mental health problems and they are not caused by inadvertant bad parenting or sending children to nursery. Obviously child abuse and neglect are another story, but children raised in a loving family will be completely fine. Doesn't matter whether you follow Gina Ford, breast or bottle feed, work or stay at home - the important things (as we all know) are to love your child, feed them and keep them safe!

Hi Ruth, In the book the health visitors give out, it just says to introduce common allergenic foods after six months and one at a time if there is a family history of allergies, so that you can tell what has caused any reaction in your baby. These include eggs, wheat, milk etc. The only thing it mentions holding off with for longer is peanuts, which it says to wait until they're three. Just cross referenced this info with Annabel Karmel - she says pretty much the same, so sounds as though little Seb should be fine with the bread and cheese, but maybe introduce one first and the other a few days later!

Yes, you can just rock up at King's and hire one - no need to book in advance. You need to go to Women's Services which is on the 4th floor I think. It's ?30 but you get ?15 back when you return it. I found mine really helpful - I didn't think it did much at first but then I turned it up and found it much better. I used it right up until the pushing stage, when it got a bit annoying so I took it off. But it was quite a nice distraction in the early stages!

Our Golf was also broken into on Saturday night, with all the windows left open. Fortunately there was nothing of value in the car but whoever got in had pushed all the seats back and had had a good rifle through the contents of our glovebox (they must have decided that they could live without a Flight of the Conchords CD and a can of Rain-x). We couldn't work out how they'd got in at first either, but on close inspection it looks as though they used a screwdriver on the passenger door lock. But now I'm wondering whether they'd forced it with another key - they did a very neat job. We were surprised that they could get in so easily with just a screwdriver, but the fact that other keys can work is very annoying and alarming.

Oh good, that's reassuring - I even checked to see if it was big enough to get wrapped around his head (it's not). He can definitely take it off again so I shall relax and just enjoy his funny little quirk!

Was feeling a little bit pleased with myself for having weaned my six-month-old off his dummy and replaced it with a little comfort blanket that he seems to enjoy snuggling up to. However, the last couple of nights he has taken to placing it over his entire face. The first couple of times I thought he'd done it by accident and took it off. Now, having watched him put it back repeatedly, and do the same with a teddy bear comforter, I'm sure he's doing it on purpose. It looks rather alarming - should I be worried about potential suffocation? Or is it a bit like rolling onto their tummies - once they're doing it themselves, there's no need to worry too much?