snowboarder

I think it is irrelevant whether it's a nappy or a pull up at night time - generally people use pull ups at bedtime for older children as they come in bigger sizes branded as pyjama pants. I have also decided it's not something they are really able to conciously control (beyond doing their first morning wee in a nappy, which is infuriating!) - my 4.5 yr old has sopping wet pull ups in the morning, yet he day time toilet trained 2 years ago. The 2.5 yr old is newly out of nappies and he is completely dry in the mornings and he asks to take his nappy off for a wee. No lifting, no making him do a wee before bed. Am thinking having a little brother who doesn't wear nappies at night might at least make my oldest think about it though!!

Oh yep have a couple of ruff and huddle tops for my two! Also agree re boys in leggings - although I do feel it has a bit of an age limit - my 2 year old happily potters around in them but the 4 yr old wouldn't tolerate them!

Eeeek stop it!!! I'm excited (relieved?!?) about my little boy starting school - don't make me cry!!!

Oh yes I quite like vertbaudet too - there's a gorgeous yellow duffle coat I've got my eye on for my 2 yr old! Re shoes - I seem to end up with boring clarks just because they're reasonable and more easily available. I adore camper but sooo expensive! I've also found the options seem to get increasingly boring as they get older - the black school shoe choice for my 4 year old literally almost all looked like men's shoes. Only one single nice-ish dinosaur themed school shoe!!

I like gap, Boden, sometimes some of the supermarket stuff. The little bird range in mothercare is cute and quite unisex. I always chose red/blue/green over sludgy brown colours. Boys shoes are the most boring things though - in clarks you look at the girls - pink/purple/silver...boys - brown or navy if you're lucky. Why no red? Orange? Green? Summer not so bad as a choice of crocs/doodles/converse but huh for winter boots!

My little boy is potty training at the moment and to my dismay hates the potette! My older son wasn't especially keen on it but used it in emergencies, but younger son says it's too 'ouchy' and won't sit on it. Nor is he keen on the toilet - he only likes his throne like baby bjorn potty! trips out are a challenge... Anyway - just to say I found last time and now that you just have to go with the flow with it - they will lead you and if it gets too stressful it's probably worth abanoning and trying again later. I absolutely decided to potty train my eldest son at a time convenient to me and when I thought he was ready....it was a disaster, we stopped, and he then did it easily by himself a couple of months later.

Oh no - poor you! Now, I'm neither pregnant nor do I have GD, but have been on a bit of a no (well....low) carb diet for a while and basically have scrambled egg every morning for breakfast. Sometimes I hard boil a couple of eggs the night before and have them with some smoked salmon. If you can bear it maybe cook an extra bit of meat for dinner and eat it cold with some cashew nuts...or bacon? Can you have natural yoghurt with some blueberries and apple or is fruit too sugary? One thing I looked at when was threatened with (but didn't actually get) GD with my last pregnancy was the Brewer diet (I think) which is v high protein and supposedly good for lessening GD and the risk of pre eclampsia...maybe google it as my memory is a bit hazy.... Good luck and hope you manage it all ok.

My trouble is my 4 yr old is STILL like this. He still runs off whilst his little brother dawdles and lingers behind, and I don't know which one to stay with. I lost him once (well, many times, but this was the worst) in the Horniman aquarium...he did return...with a pencil he had 'borrowed' from the shop. AAAARGH - the shop is about 3 floors up and by the main entrance. It's all very well letting it be, but I feel generally that my eldest is inches away from danger most of the time (roads/crowds etc) and he is fearless in these situations. Am hoping school will help?!? (please god...)

And 3 year olds can snowboard...:-)

We went this year with a 3 and 2 yr old, and some generous grandparents who helped with the childcare. We stayed in a catered chalet in Les Gets with a company called Reach 4 the alps which was fabulous. Short transfer from Geneva and a good little walkable resort with access to a huge ski area. Our 3 year old did morning esf ski school (which wasn't super successful but that as maybe him?!?), he also had a couple of snowboard lessons with Mint snowboard school which were great. We didn't really look into childcare for this trip, but there are a load of chalet companies that provide nannies (we have used vip chalets in the past and friends used their nannies). Also there's ski famille that specialise in that kind of thing. We found having our own chalet brilliant with the kids...but there aren't many small chalets. We are thinking about going again next year and the only thing I would do differently is try and find an english run ski school for the children - the esf-group of 20 3 yr olds-mostly french speaking lessons weren't great! I've come across loads of other children friendly options - esprit and Mark Warner look good. People recommended Scott Dunn but eeeeek soooo expensive! Also I know the owner of this company and it sounds good if you like austria and hotels - http://www.familyskiholidays.com/. Kinder hotels sound good too.... There were a couple of threads on this last year.... http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,993205,993205#msg-993205 http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,766998,984081#msg-984081

No bag needed - just dump both bits at the gate as you would a maclaren.

It's not quite what either of you are after (transport probably necessary/essential, not nerja!) but padre de aviles is awesome for a relaxed break. In the mountins about 20m from Malaga, 15 mins to the beach, Malaga center is lovely, access to some of the costa del sol fun (we def went to a zoo somewhere?). We went with our then 14m old son and had a lovely 2 weeks a couple of years ago... http://www.padre-aviles.com/

It was just somewhere different and fun to go.....we've done the local playgrounds to death over the last 4 years :)

Actually on further investigation am a bit staggered by the price of a cabin/lodge type place....from what I can work it it's about 200 euros a night?!? Yikes!

Has anyone been? I'm thinking ahead somewhat, but trying to find a family holiday that won't bankrupt us in the school holidays next year. I'm beginning to accept that whilst something like a neilson beach club would be ideal, we can nowhere near afford it!! So I'm thinking maybe one of the european centre parc type camp sites might work....? But I've never really camped...and need running water or I'll be miserable.... So I think we need a lodge or mobile home type pitch rather than an actual tent. And by a beach would be nice... Anyone been to either of these - La Torre de la mora, or La torre del sol (not the same place as I first thought!). Any other suggestions? I don't understand why there is a camp site own web site, then the same camp site mentioned on other websites too...which is best to book through? Or any other ideas for budget fun?

Yes as number 2 found apparently from next week no under 5s will be allowed on any of the play structures. We had fun today with a group of 4 and 2.5 year olds - a shame it will be a while before we can go again!! Oh - just to add - I thought it was easier to keep track of everyone than dkh - just better visibility and fewer dark corners.

We will go and report back!

And ok for adventurous 4 yr olds?!?

Argh missed the towel advice and now restraining two boys from getting completely soaked!!

I'm heading to the south bank with my two tomorrow and we're not quite buggy free yet - anyone know whether there is a lift from platform to street at Waterloo east? Or better to go to charing cross and walk back over the bridge? We're going to see the 'queens knickers' at the Purcell rooms - will report back! Any other ideas for things to do would be great...

Yes - I remember a glorious 6m or so when my two napped after lunch at the same time - wonderful!!

srisky Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Ah, I see...it doesn't occur to my daughter to get > out of bed (bless) except in the morning when the > gro clock says it's ok. Wanna swap children? :-) My youngest gave up napping about a month ago at 27m - he was super reluctant to go down AND it made him want to stay up until 10pm. If he hadn't been in a cot I have no doubt he'd have stopped earlier. With him being the youngest I'm kind of over naps though - days are now much easier and flexible!

No cot = no restraint for the possibly relucatant napper aged 2-3....in my experience!

Another one here for waiting as long as possible - obv it depends on the character of your child though! Oldest was easily 3.5 when we took the sides off his cot bed - he did start trying to climb out at about 2 but he stopped once we moved his chair away from the cot so no soft landing when he catapulted himself out - he then was reluctant to change to a bed as he liked his snuggly cot (with duvet). My youngest is still in his cot bed at 2.5. We have a 22m age gap and I just figured the last thing I needed when I was feeding a new baby at bed time was my 2 year old getting up and out of bed over and over....yeah it involved the expense of an additional cot bed but it saved (some!) sanity!

Eeeek! We had a similar dilemma but much earlier in the process when on allocations day we received an offer from a local prep school we had fallen in love with but didn't initially get a place, and got a place at our first choice primary. We went for the local primary - because of so many reasons but I suppose the main one was financial - the prep would have been a HUGE push for us. I'm def happy with our decision - Z will have local friends, he knows some already, we can walk there, be part of the community.....but I still think longingly about the little prep school with it's amazing facilities. All the harder as your daughter is sold on her new school and happy and looking forward to it. Sorry - not much help!! However I think if we could have relatively comfortably afforded it I would have gone for the prep....