Bellenden Belle

Wise family room folk, Tips wanted please - how did you help your little one get to grips with cutlery? Baby belle has decided he wants to have a go - not something I would have started at eleven months but hey ho! He's determined he doesn't want me holding my hand over his and is intent on doing it himself but is getting quite frustrated. He's clearly got the right idea from watching us. So - did anyone find a particular brand of kid cutlery particularly helpful? Or certain foodstuffs? Or any other tips? I'm happy just to let him figure it out for himself over the next few months but any tips on how to support him would be welcome.

What a ridiculous post. It is well known that nits prefer clean hair. Awful that a teacher can demonstrate such ignorance and prejudice. Poor show.

Another big thumbs up for the Docklands Museum in Canary Wharf. I went with my ten-month old, a five and a six year old and all three were greatly entertained. The area is ticketed which means it doesn't feel at all crowded and two-year-olds will love the soft play area as well as the other activities. Also, an incredibly easy journey from Peckham Rye now, thanks to the East London Line.

Lamaze soft toys are beautifully made - lots of different textures and subtle multi-sensory elements which mean babies return to them time and time again. We also received a set of gorgeous books - all very baby friendly as they were small board books which again, almost a year on, we are still using. We received Goodnight Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, We're Going on a Bear Hunt, and Peepo. Some beautiful booties also went down a treat. Have a look at padraig slippers which you can buy on the Born website (gorgeous shop in stoke newington but also online). http://www.borndirect.com/P123/Padraig-Cottage/Baby-and-Child-Wool-Slippers

Prune juice works a treat. Three tablespoons should do it - and top tip, pour the rest of the carton into an ice cube tray so you don't have to keep buying it. Payless on Bellenden Road stocked it back in the spring.

I actually went to the Goose Green Toddler group this morning but decided not to go in. I was late (as always) and looking through the door I could see Father Christmas and realised it was their "christmas party". To be honest I turned away because I suspected people would have been asked to bring food and having not been before, it would have felt wrong to suddenly turn up to the party empty handed. I'm not saying they were right to turn you away at all, just that this is probably an unusual time of year when regular activities are superseded by parties. I hotfooted it to Beas Baby Bop at Rye Books instead. But I do think we are really well provided for in the area. A lovely mixed group, with plenty of toys and people from all backgrounds, takes place at All Saints, opposite Peckham Rye train station. The organisers make a real effort to welcome you when you first come and people are very friendly. It's free too. I like Cheeky C's a lot but then my little one is under 1 and so it costs ?1.50, I do wonder about ?4 entry for those older than that. I haven't tried it but I've also heard good things about the newly re-opened one o'clock club in Peckham Rye Park.

I stayed in the same profession (arts fundraising) but moved to a different company and took on a part time role. This has so far (three weeks in) worked really well - it means boundaries of what I'm prepared to do can be set early on and also I don't feel defined as a "new mum". I just happen to have a family at home, just like plenty of people. I knew if I returned to my old job, even though they were prepared to consider part time, I would essentially be doing a full time job in part time hours.

I would really recommend going to one of the theatres designed specifically for children. We're so lucky to have Polka in Wimbledon, the Unicorn at London Bridge and the Half Moon Theatre all accessible to us. These theatre are designed with children in mind - making it a very different experience for them (just think about seats and sightlines in your regular adult theatres from a child's perspective). And the shows they produce and host are often incredibly thoughtful and very attuned to reaching the age range they are aimed at. I wish my little one at nine months could go and see Oily Cart's Christmas show at the Unicorn. Oily Cart are an amazing company and their work is beautifully designed and hugely imaginative. http://unicorntheatre.com/in-a-pickle

BT here too, via a friend. Absolutely great - really clear sound, a useful light that you can watch instead if you turn the sound down ( useful when you have friends over or you're watching a film) and an accurate temperature reading. I agree about video monitoring just increasing paranoia and from my ante natal group I've heard the breathing monitors are even worse - no one needs to hear an alarm going off falsely telling them their baby isnt breathing. Horrible experience.

I have kindly been lent a couple by a dear poster. And others were also generous enough to offer. It's lovely to be reminded how helpful people are and how this forum is such a fantastic resource. I feel very lucky. Now I've just go to get through the swim lesson itself!

Darn! They don't stock them in store during the winter. The swimming company has been really nice and said he can just double up on his other swim nappies but if any one knows anywhere else locally where they stock them, please let me know.

Ah thanks so much Hellosailor - I didn't think of Jojo as the swim nappy I bought there is not that brand. But I've checked the website and you're right! Hoorah! Fingers crossed they have the little piglet's size!

So I booked the swim classes for my nine month old. But did I read the instructions until today? Of course not. I have a reusable swim nappy but the course instructions state that all babies are wearing the Neoprene Happy Nappy swim nappy (from Splashabout). Does anyone have one I could borrow? Just for today? Fingers and toes crossed x

So following on from this post I'm wondering if people out there could tell me what tasks I should expect from my cleaner? For the last twelve months I've had a couple of lovely cleaners who work in tandem - it's a small three bed victorian house - between them they work three hours in total. When we originally employed them it was only once a fortnight and so were told that cleaning the inside of cupboards, cleaning the fridge, and cleaning the oven would all be at extra cost. Now that I'm returning to work and having them weekly I'm wondering if I could re-negotiate this? What do other people think is reasonable? I would like those three tasks done once a month as part of their regular clean. Is this acceptable?

I haven't experienced this firsthand but have a close friend who had the same experience in Hackney. She found the experience rather bemusing but it really was just a quick chat over a cup of tea. I think it makes sense to have such a meeting after they've started nursery. It gives both sides a chance to have already got to know each other a little bit - and to actually be able to discuss how your child has settled in. It's also a good opportunity for you to ask any questions/ raise concerns in a more comfortable environment than when you are doing the pick up or drop off. And if there are issues with some children, which are picked up in obervations by staff within those first few weeks then it provides a good opportunity for them to start addressing those issues, and maybe some of the root causes. That is unlikely to be the case in your home visit - but if everyone gets the same visit then there is less stigma and people won't feel as if they are being singled out. Southwark, like Hackney, is a borough containing many families that need a little extra support. I think these initiatives should actually be applauded. Be friendly, have a nice chat, and be grateful that the nursery is taking a holistic approach to your child's development - much better than simply being a name on a register.

Kidkruger - Your post is as unhelpful and as full of assumptions as those defending the protesters. I'm interested that having seen pictures of the protests yesterday on twitter, there were a lot of middle aged mothers standing outside that shop. I don't think that's a group that would protest without consideration just to go along with a mob mentality. There may be some unsavoury elements creeping into the protest- ignorant banners and racist shouts - but I think there could definitely be two sides to this story.

Thanks for all the advice. I'm afraid my panic started precisely because I left him for a day whilst I was at work with Granny and she didn't manage to get him to take a drop all day. He's been with her many times before and never has this been an issue. But I agree with esme - I don't really care if something is cheap if it works! I also made a cheese sauce for him today and suddenly realised that there is no way I would be able to get enough milk into him through food ....he's got a great appetite but even on his porridge he only took 50ml.

Huge thanks to everyone who replied. Nikki - I hadn't thought about changing the flow of the teat, having already changed once at around four months - so that's my next move. Thank you. I have now tried the Sippy Cup with milk. Oh my! The first time I think he was properly hungry but he wouldn't touch a drop - just screamed when I put him back down until he got boob. Then I tried it when he'd already had milk and was in a superb mood - he held the milk in his mouth whilst he shot me a look of indignation and promptly let every single drop out of his mouth, all down himself. Gave him the sippy cup again with water and he was happy as larry. Agggghhhhh! Obviously I can just breastfeed him each day until I go back to work but I do have a few working days in the meantime when Granny will be looking after him. So mrs F I will probably follow your route and just make sure that on days when he is with Granny he gets milk in the morning and evening and we just sneak it into food during the day. But oh - I'm gutted. We were going to let Granny have him for the night of my birthday - so we could have a day and a half of drinking cocktails and pretending we're child-free and that plan's totally scuppered. One day.....

Baby Belle has always been very easygoing when it comes to milk. Bottle or boob, expressed or formula - he didn't care as long as he got it. He's six months old and has taken to solids with some gusto. He'll happily eat three meals a day. But obviously he still needs milk. For the first time this week he has started refusing anything but breast. I am due back at work in two months and so this has come as a bit of a shock. Have other people encountered this? Any advice? My next move is to bypass the bottle entirely and encourage him to drink milk out of his Tommee Tippee cup which he loves taking water from - is this the best approach?

Huguenot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I thought that seemed like a reasoned and well > thought-out critique. I'd want to hear that if I > was the boss. > Probably not Huguenot, considering it is the boss herself who best fits the description "tight lipped and taciturn" and that's on a good day. Downright rude on other days.

Good point Alan Medic - perhaps it wasn't. The person was beaten from outside Khans, where he stumbled across the street before being dragged back to the corner of the side of Khans. It may well not have been staff.

Kidkruger, I have some sympathy for what you're saying - particularly since I shop regularly at Khans and have always found them really helpful. And truth is, when they fought back against a gang last year I did think 'well, fair's fair'. But actually seeing the reality is quite different - I don't want to shop on a street where people take the law into their own hands like that. I was really shaken by what I saw. Whether or not Khans are racist I have no idea - for me te behaviour was unacceptable whatever the motive.

Unfortunately I witnessed one such beating in broad daylight (about 4pm) about six weeks ago. I don't know the background and what provoked the attack but it was brutal ( around three men against one) and such vigilante action has no place on any high street. The police were on the scene and involved.

I thought the reasoning behind not buying secondhand is because you don't know if it's been in an accident or not. So if you know the person giving you the car seat, and trust them, it should be fine. We've been incredibly fortunate to be gifted car seats and have felt perfectly fine about it. I also speak as someone who is quite cautious about these things - we have a growing pile of mattresses which I wont use as I think it's important to follow guidelines in most instances.

I would second the Baby Led Weaning book - there's also a cookbook written by the same authors which has some very yummy recipes and is also full of really useful ideas when you're feeling stuck for what to offer. I never did baby rice and I've not given any purees either - I don't think any one method is better than the other, just that worked for me and made me and seemingly Baby Belle happy. So we did food that was easily held - broccoli, cauliflower,roasted parsnips, baby potatoes, bread, rice cakes with all manner of things on them (mackerel pate was a big hit - just tinned mackerel and plain yoghurt mixed with some english mustard). The first couple of weeks I found hard - it's as much the change of routine that knocks you for six than anything - but now I'm in the swing of things, and a month on it's great to see him munching on whole apricots, and eating all manner of foods - blueberry pancakes have definitely been the biggest hit so far (particularly since us grown ups had them with streaky bacon and maple syrup whilst Baby Belle happily munched independently on his own)