nicolemodesti

Hats off to you LegalBeagle!! It definitely is a remarkable journey...although did not think that last week when I attended my 22 month old boys nursery garden party and he ram rodded a child sitting quietly on a chair eating his food. One of those slow motion moments where you see the action, hear your child's name being called, the child still in seat tipping backwards and you rising to your feet. The whole garden went quiet and I swear I heard a pin drop! Thankfully the child was not injured but myself and partner were mortified. Of all the children it had to be ours! Then I was relieved to see my son had the good manners to realise he had done wrong and said sorry with a cuddle to the screaming 3.5 year old.Due to him being incredibly excited he seemed to lose all sense of conduct. Buggie - working with children is a total different ball game for me compared to my own. I think it's due to the fact that I have 28 of them 5 days a week but then at 3pm each day they leave. My own child is very determined, bright and happy but seems to know how to push the right buttons. Would I change it - no way. Will treasure these moments forever - food throwing, breaking things, biting, spitting, generally being cheeky plus the love, cuddles,kisses and intense curiosity - as this is forming his nature and personality. The only thing I would change is if he could just have one bad report when I pick him up from nursery each day, except for the odd 'he didn't listen'. What is with that? Guess we are just doing our best and my best will do for the moment as it seems to be working.

Not sure I shall ever learn how to be a perfect parent! Well done mumof3girlies.

What a personal and brave post standswithfist...admiration for/of you!! new mother - agree, where does one find the time?

What a shame the 'smoking pregnant chav Vicky Pollard or her burly tattooed female pal' have not responded!!!! Are you sure there isn't a social element of image being conjured up here????

Have sent you a PM.

new mother - was just stating how my school raises attainment with TA interventions. Possibly can't comment on other schools performance. Luckily we are not in the one third you state as our KS2 SATS this year are 100% Maths and 96% English. Due to the great teaching and interventions of Teaching Assistants. Also our KS1 results exceeded targets set by the LA. Fuschia - you are correct in evaluating effectiveness which is why our school has, in the last 3 years, turned around the TA role and involvement in helping to raise attainment. Hip hooray for our TAs!

Our boy wouldn't sleep in a swing but loved his Baby Bjorn bouncer/sitter. This was lugged into different rooms and I was able to get on with things. We used it in the first week of birth.

We never used a high chair but a Handy Sitt. Small 2 bedroom flat!! He was sitting early and also used a Bumbo. He still uses his Handy Sitt now, at 22 months, and they are able to use them until about 4 years of age. They also fold flat as well as having a carry bag if you are heading out to a restaurant or visiting friends.Best buy we ever made and so easy to keep clean!! The image doesn't have the insert but you can see the style. http://www.backinaction.co.uk/?action=handysitt&linkfrom=googleadwords&gclid=CIrJjrWi86ICFYWY2AodMiDnkw http://handysittnz.com/images/prod-descr-chair.gif

DaveR - in English it means that underachieving children are targeted by class teacher who plan specific interventions that is discussed with TAs. The TA will then take this group of chn, normally a max of 6,and administer this intervention for 15 minute sessions daily or however many times a week. It is normally a tailored programme.These are either in literacy or numeracy. Link below may help! Although Wave 3 does not always need to be children with SEN!! It supports underachieving learners as well, IMO!! http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/onlinehelp/numeracy/faq03?view=FAQs Sub levels are used within the National Curriculum Attainment level descriptors. So for example children form Year 1 - 6 work within Level 1 - 5. These levels are then broken down by sub levels. Level 1 would be 1C, 1B, 1A. As a class teacher you assess pupils progress using these level descriptors as well as APP(Assessing Pupils Progress) and each child is expected to achieve a 2 sub level progress through the year. Not all chn will due to learning needs but it is a baseline assessment guide to use. Anyway our TAs are familiar with all this and well trained in interventions to support pupils. They also have Performance Development targets within their own CPD linked to raising pupil attainment. (At least within my school they do). Needless to say TAs are incredible, especially mine! http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/169945 Also to say that they will also worked with Gifted and Talented groups, in the same way, to extend as well!

As a teacher I would be lost without my TA!! Not only is she underpaid and overworked but has been valuable in helping to raise the children's attainment levels by 2 sub levels or more through targeted Wave 3 interventions!! Cutbacks mean schools are struggling with being able to retain old staff and employ new ones...although Fuschia, not all schools use their higher level TA'S to cover PPA. I disagree with this on principle that they are not properly qualified to do so and unions discourage it.

Belle - after feeling the same as you and not having the excuse of my 20 month old being a baby, I joined weight watchers and lost 15lbs in 6 weeks. I go to weekly weigh ins near my work in the morning, which suits better than the evening slot, although have done an evening weigh in with my son offering crisps to all the people about to be weighed. Thank goodness they were quavers and only 1 point! I find weekly weigh ins great as I have to pay and don't want someone else telling me I've gained. I also make a point of not weighing myself at home. Tracking what you eat is beneficial in seeing what you are putting into your body. They do offer guidance for breast feeding mums too. Good luck!

Molly I would gladly take them both at the moment or send mine round to you!!!!

If only I could get mine into his cot bed...will only go in our bed now! Gone from independent sleeper to co sleeper at 22 months. Any thoughts? Has slept in it about 3 times then found his way to us at about 2am! He becomes quite hysterical at going in there to the point of throwing up though will quite happily play/sit/read on it during the day. He is quite a tall boy and does tend to move around alot during the night so wondering if we should invest in a larger bed? We are also due to move house very soon and want to try to get this sorted once we have moved....so many friends have told me their own children slept with them til 5!!!! Maybe Molly would like to loan out her older daughter........

A friend has a Mothers Help, in the morning, and jokingly admits (or not) that she misses her on weekends!

Not sure it's a myth or down to individual baby. Our son took to EBM from about 1 week old as I had to express due to very severe mastitis. My husband gave him EBM in evening to give me a break, once healed he took back to the nipple straight away. He was always a hungry feeder and latched on well so also think he would have taken anything. He breastfed with occasional EBM, when with Granny or Dad, for 6 months. At 6 months upon return to work he would BF morning and night as well as formula during the day. He gave up BF himself at 10 months. I felt that the early teat introduction helped him with EBM as well as when I returned to FT work. Sorry don't know about dummies as we never gave him one!

Just a phase but it may be a long one!!!! Our boy did the same thing at that age and we are sure it was teething as it was mainly when teeth were on the way or cutting through. I was his main target and would be bitten on my breasts or shoulders, then occasionally Dad but never at his nursery, which I was thankful for. The nursery staff would look at me incredulously when I mentioned it. It did eventually ease up after a few long bruised months,and the laughter too GinaG3 even with trying all the above that has been mentioned. Funnily enough he was bitten on his back by another child at nursery which seemed to resolve it. Although now at 22 months and cutting four 2 year molars at once he has bitten my hand but seemed to understand better the consequences of what he did! My only light at the end of this tunnel is that after these 2 year molars that should be it for awhile so the biting will cease!! Good luck to you all and your mini gnashers!!

Baby Banz didn't work for us either! Now at 22 months he prefers glasses without a band/strap and requestd them to go outside with.

Pleasure standswithfist, although if you or anyone can now suggest how to get him in his bed for the beginning of bedtime I would appreciate it!! Even when we try to lift him to his he wakes up demanding to go to the mummy bed. I think with all the night waking, teething and recently a health scare we have allowed him access to our bed (last 2 months), which hasn't helped. He has his own 'big boy bed' now which he loves to lie in and read books, jump on and play with his stuffed animals but will not go for bedtime there!! As Fuschia's link highlighted (many thanks Fuschia) it could be developmental. Guess I have to ride this out and once he is fully on the mend get a bit tougher. Plus look on the bright side that he was always a great sleeper and this may just be a blip!! Fingers crossed.

Hi we had the same problem with our boy and started a thread on it which may be of some help to you!! Now all we have to do 2 months later is to get him to want to fall asleep in his own bed at bedtime instead of 'the mummy bed'!!!! Also we did discover that he cut his 2 year old lower molars about 1 month after it started. http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,450477,451146#msg-451146

I was offered suppository antibiotics, at Christmas, for my then 16 month old from my GP. She said that alot of her patients request them for children who refuse to take antibiotics. Not sure if it is an age thing for when they can be given! Feel your pain with administering them as our son, 21 months, has just finished taking a course - tonsilitis and looking like 'elephant boy' due to swollen lymph nodes and he cheekily tried and was successful on a few occassions to spit it out. Maybe I should have checked this time on suppository! Hope your daughter recovers soon.

You could try Protectabub sunshade which we use for our 21 month old. We have the universal one and find it quite small to pack away when travelling. http://protect-a-bubusa.com/

Eagle House Group Day Groups 2-19 years in South London and Surrey www.eaglehousegroup.co.uk Experts in autism spectrum disorders and Asperger's Syndrome 08450742972. As a teacher myself, this is a school that 1 child in my class, with severe autism/EBD has thrived in!!

Stick with Aptamil 1...we did with our boy from 6 months when he was breast and formula fed due to me returning to work full time. Didn't bother with follow on as it didn't make sense plus he dropped some feeds.

Saw car booster seats in Lidl for ?3.99....looked like good quality but as we are not at that stage of using them I wouldn't know!! Just thought I'd share for anyone who may be looking for one.....

Deens City farm is great!! Vauxhall City Farm is also free and you could then go for a walk over Vauxhall Bridge?? Streatham Common paddling pool and rookery. Walk along Southbank...our boy loves to shout at all the boats going past. Hyde Park is always good, if you don't mind the trek as well as Regents Park. Battersea Park is brilliant too