snowboarder

Can someone just summarise/give me an idiots guide to what the figures represent - with the value added measures figures too - - we are about to apply for reception (not in ed) and the school we are planning to have as first choice seems to have really low results....but it is a very small school (12 in a year!) so am wondering whether somehow if they had 1 or 2 less able children it might totally skew the result? (at least I'm hoping this is the case!! Otherwise we need to have a rethink!)

Definitely some choc ones in M&S at london bridge still!!

Slightly different situation but my 3.5 year old has been referred to Kings dental hospital recently...maybe by the same dentist as from what I understand she didn't try very hard to treat him (he's 3...he didn't want to open his mouth...unusual?!?). Anyway - they do all seem very nice there and are experienced with dealing with dental refuseniks. My little boy needs some further treatment and they are proposing oral sedation - apparently a drink and then they go all sleepy (I have reservations whether he will actually drink the drink...but hey), and may not remember anything. One tip - as with these things generally there does seem to be a bit of waiting around - take toys/books/ipad...

We are going to see Room on the Broom at the Lyric just before christmas with our two - 3.5 yr old loves the book, aisle seats so me and the 1.5 yr old can escape if necessary! Also thinking about going to see In a Pickle at the unicorn if can get in - seems quite booked up.

I think I want a haba doll...for myself! My boys (3 and 1) have a couple of dolls - we have a charlie (as in Charlie and lola) and a haba-esque rag boy doll. They are both pretty much ignored, sadly, and 1 yr old pushes duplo block around in his dolly buggy....

I remember 5m being quite a hard time for sleep - they have grown out of new baby sleep and are more alert. I rocked/pushed/fed my oldest child to sleep until he was one and then had to do some quite full on sleep training as was going a bit crazy - so I was determined to try and teach my younger child to 'self' settle - for my 2 children this has been the holy grail of all things sleep! So - I think I've told this story before but it might help - with younger one the one thing I did do from about 3m was start to try to have the first morning nap in bed at home and to get him to go to sleep by himself. He had just started sucking his thumb so I put him in his crib about 2 hrs after he woke up (so knew he was tired), sat just out of the way and stroked his tummy and after a while he went to sleep (not without fussing, but I was sat with him). And I did this every single day again and again so that he had at least one nap at home and self settled. The other naps were usually out and about in buggy for varying lengths. Now this didn't help with the nights straight away but although he woke a lot we co-slept and he went back to sleep fairly easily (or at least would lie quietly feeding). The good thing about getting the morning nap to work like this meant that he seemed to start having a longer nap, and that he then started to do the same for other naps if at home....and when at 7m, when he was eating 3 little meals a day as well as milk and started to only really need 2 naps, we finally relocated him to his own room and I decided to stop feeding to sleep at night - and as a result of napping regime he did know how to get to sleep on his own and things got SO much better from that point onwards. I used to feed him in his room with the light on bright and not let him drift off, then put in cot, turn out light and sit with him in the dark until he fell asleep. Gradually after a couple of weeks I would quickly sneak out... I know the thought of this not getting better immediately sounds horrendous...but maybe if you work on a few gentle non rock to sleep ideas for naps it might help the nights in the longer term?

I used Nannylink this summer to find a part time nanny (now living further out of London so didn't really have any local networks to tap into like edf). I thought they were good - yes you pay but I liked that they forwarded me candidates within my budget and that the nannies had at least been through some sort of initial screening first. I have also used Nightnannies in the past for some sleep training for my then 12m old baby - just 3 nights - as you say I just couldn't face doing the searching myself!

Davster - my 3.5 yr old tried the micro rocket out a couple of weeks ago - he really wanted it and actually rode on it ok, but we eventually got the maxi micro as I thought he really was a bit young for it (and he was handing his mini micro down to his brother - I didn't want him reclaiming it because the 2 wheeled version was too advanced!).

gwod - !! I have....I wish I was back in ED!!

Mini snowboarder is to be a king in the pre school nativity....*proud*...but he needs a costume...help! I'm not really very 'crafty' - cant sew - but would like to make rather than buy so he can help me. Any ideas from seasoned Christmas nativity mums? I can imagine this will be the first of many costumes....ugh....I hate fancy dress!!

Oh - here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5RIcaK98Yg Sorry - have wandered off topic a bit maybe....

Having had 2 c sections (1 'emergency' and one 'elective' - but neither were either, iykwim) - I would only caution that they are not necessarily the answer to a relaxed calm birth. I found them both traumatic in different ways, and both resulted in a stressful week in hospital post birth... Sorry - don't mean to scare, but just wanted to alert...Obviously well planned elective cs can be good experiences. There is a really nice u tube clip somewhere that shows a 'natural' cs - think might have seen it on here? Can look it up if anyone wants.

Totally awesome...mine a bit old for it now but there was a time when only a 'squeezy' (as then 2 yr old called them) would do... http://www.fillnsqueeze.co.uk/

Has anyone been to les gets? Recommend?

Ahh. Well we have pretty much decided that we are going to go. Despite the many reasons that your OH mentions not to - I'm with you and think it will be a fun family holiday and an amazing introduction for the older ones to learn to ski/snowboard really young. We are hopefully going to get a catered chalet and take the grandparents - and look into some private sessions for Z. This is my favourite u tube clip of the moment - my boys (3.5 and 1.5) watched it on repeat this morning and are excited about going!!

Bizarrely this grotto in Dulwich Park seems to have something to do with whippersnappers? I can kind of get over the price for a child - possibly - but a fiver for an accompanying adult? Why? Annoys me - like when they charge for adults at Soft Play!

Lapland UK is ?65. Each (ie for grown ups too). Crazy!! For ?18 you'd better get a pretty good pressie from Santa. We'll be going to the garden centre near us for ?8.50 (per child - why is anyone paying for an adult at these places?) Santa will be in the woods on the nature trail. Fab!

We have an isofix kiddy pro for our now 3.5 yr old - we got it a year ago when he started breaking out of his 5 point harness. It's been good for him but I did try our younger son in it at a few months ago at about 14m and he didn't manage at all well - started slipping down in the seat as HS describes! I thought it was because it wasn't really set up right for him but maybe just not great for the younger ones - it is very upright. It is much better for older toddlers and it will last us hopefully. Youngest has been in a second stage rear facing seat since 10m which has been great.

Agreed - pebbles your cleaner sounds like she's supersonic!! We have what sounds like a similar sized house and have 2 cleaners who come together for 2 hrs - they do not do ironing or any of the little extras and I've been in when they are working and they are flat out just to get the basics done. We left a lovely cleaner in east Dulwich who would do funny little things like sorting out our cutlery drawer and would rearrange the children's books by size.... Having moved and had to get a new cleaner it is really hard - one lady I tried refused to empty most of the bins because of smelly nappies...and was offended when I said it wasn't working out...

I suppose the thing that I need to get used to is that you pretty much pay full price for any child over 2....we are looking at going the week after my youngest's second birthday...meaning you pay about ?800 plus for him!! These prices do include flights/transfers/catering and in some cases childcare so I suppose in some ways not so bad - but it's very different to just paying for yourself pre children!!

WOW. Everything I look at is SERIOUSLY expensive (like ?4000+ for family of 4. Scott Dunn way more than this!) or not suitable for young children (hotels or big chalets - I'm not that comfortable being in a shared chalet with our 2 in case of night time freaking out etc!). Hmm - Milton Keynes snowdome here we come!

I would just say that although fab and small and light and everything else, after having an iCandy and a mountain buggy I found the bee quite noisy and not smooth for long park trips (esp on the bound gravel paths in Dulwich park and p rye) and don't think best for grass....Depends what your priorities are!! Basically I coveted a bee for ages, finally got one for baby 2, and didn't really rate it (which I know makes me unusual!!). But I'm not a regular bus user, and suppose had got used to the smooth air filled tyres on my other prams.

Yay by combination of gro clock and turning the little ones monitor down we lasted until 6.30. I unfortunately woke an hour earlier!

I have to change wipes regularly as they ALL start to have poo association smell after a while!! Like huggies in that they are nice and thick but always have to fight to get the first one out... Oh the things that matter these days :-)

Hmm - I'm not really a disciplinarian and my oldest (3.5 now) can be quite strong willed - and as you say there is no 'punishment' that seems to really have any effect - no more tea? Oh well go and play then! Take favourite bunny away? Oh well go and find teddy then....etc. My main 'tactic' as it were is to carefully choose my battles (wise advice from a lady we both know well I think Lochie?!?) - and frankly if a sweet in the car gets me home then I'll do it - maybe give 1 or 2 with the proviso that the rest will follow if he behaves on the way home. And if he doesn't want his coat on - well within reason I don't make a big deal out of it (too exhausting) and go with it and take it in my bag (I did recently have to go to out with a child with no shoes on....). Also I just try and avoid situations which I can usually predict will be difficult. So avoidance and yes, I bribe. Very different to the above advice - but it comes down to your own and your child's character and personality and I just can't be at loggerheads the whole time! Good luck - these are trying times....I'm hoping school will work wonders :-)