nicolemodesti

Have you considered Cyprus? We had a fantastic holiday there last year with our boy who was nearly 2 and step son of 11. We stayed at Sandra Hotels, overlooking Protaras, which was so safe for swimming. There was a water park nearby although we didn't use it.Eating out in the evenings was very family oriented and some restaurants had bouncy castles or play house attached. The hotel had a good amenities and 2 separate pools, adult and child. Going back again this year! Previous years we have holidayed in Menorca and Gran Canaria (Maspalamas). http://www.sandrahotelapts.com/location.html

Can you squeeze urine from nappy? Not sure just a stab in the dark here!!!!

Well put Moos!! Or to ask you if it's still night time......

Have sent you a PM as may be able to help!!

Australia also immunise against chicken pox as I discovered recently when my son caught it and my nephew had been vaccinated over there! My GP had advised against it here and I didn't look into it any further. Wish I had as my son had it badly!

As a teacher of 6/7 year olds, I always find that it is at this age that handwriting changes for both genders. Especially as they are learning joined up script. Does the school have handwriting slots in their day to accommodate the children?e..g I have 15 minutes after lunch of modelled script, by me, in handwriting books for children. From all accounts it seems your grandson is doing extremely well! Boys and writing is always a tricky area and they certainly do excel in areas of interest to them. You could ask what extension is being provided in lessons to engage him so he doesn't become bored. Teachers certainly do differentiate 3 or 4 ways or in my case 5 ways!You could also ask the teacher to set handwriting tasks to do at home so that he is writing in the handwriting script of the school?This would also offer support to the parents. Concentration should also come with age and ability. Really though if this is the only concern I would wait and see how it progresses.

My 2.5 year old has it at the moment and nursery is where he caught it!! It started on Tuesday evening when I noticed that he had a couple of spots on his back that looked like an insect bite. We had a very restless night that night with a lot of sweating then a few more spots the next morning. I took him to the doctor who gave me piriton, paracetomol and calamine lotion. Also used Oilatum for bath time and have started using Aveeno tonight. By Thursday night he started itching but has been quite good with it. He hasn't complained once or made a fuss and been very perky. Although he doesn't particularly like the calamine as complains it is too cold. His granny warms it up for him by placing calamine in a bowl, then the bowl into a hot water bowl - bad mummy doesn't do that! We are at the scab stage although it seems to be quite bad on his scalp.It has been worse for me with seeing all the pox come out but I think that's because you worry they are suffering. Good luck!

Definitely toiletries for you as it does get quite hot in the labour ward! Small transistor radio, mags, phone charger, spare change of clothes, small towel and flannel and comfy cushion!! He also says now hip flask and fags!!!!

Our boy went through a period of refusing to nap at this age when home with us on weekends. He was the same at nursery. He is now 2.4 years and will nap some days and not on others. If he doesn't want to nap he will lie down and rest for awhile. I find that if he does nap we need to get him down around 12.30/1pm otherwise he will be too fresh at his bedtime of 7/7.30pm.He was napping for 2 hours but have noticed on the weekend, with his only nap on Saturday, that they are reducing to roughly an hour. On the days he doesn't nap he nods off straight away at bedtime, with snores, as soon as his head touches the pillow! Agree that it depends if they need it but I was rather hoping he would continue for a little longer!!

Maybe what you need to consider is that the nursery are also working with what your expectations are of your son not the other way around! My 2 year 4 month boy is still at the stage of being able to undress but no interest in dressing. Nowhere near putting shoes on himself although he will always put his wellies on if heading out to the back garden. At the moment on weekends he would happily stay in his pjs all weekend if given the chance! Weekdays we dress him with input from him of the next item to put on as it saves time with leaving the house at 7.15am for nursery. As a teacher of 6 year olds I constantly see children having difficulty in getting dressed again after PE. All in good time I say!!

Thanks Pinkgirl - advice is good to hear. We have cracked it and he is doing very well. No need for a potty out and about as uses public loos. Long may this continue!!

Ah thanks Mellors, you definitely gave me the confidence to venture out!! Was a little anxious before leaving but remembered all that had been said. Managed to find the last pack of pampers disposable mattress protectors too - the potty god was shining upon me today!! A dry Christmas and the best to you with dry nights ahead in the New Year.;-)

Hurrah success!! Spent 3 hours out shopping on our first time away from the potty and no accidents. Was even told by my boy that he needed to go to the toilet and he held until we found it. A very proud mummy!!:))

Good, Sainsburys is where I intend to head in the morning! So shall look out for the disposable mattress protectors. Hopefully my Streatham branch stock them. I shall just brave it and do the change of clothes. I'm not really into carrying loads of bits so shall give the portable potty a miss. To be honest only been heading out with a pull up nappy shoved in my handbag for the last few months! Have had a chat with him tonight about going out tomorrow and he seems keen!! Or is that because he's tired of seeing my face.... Shall continue to let him poo with his potty wherever he chooses - to be honest when he missed one day I was afraid he may have an issue with pooing on the potty as he is normally like clockwork. Risking it may just be too much now. Shall see how he goes with night time. No you're not a bad mummy, just that stickers seem to be the bees knees with my son at the moment although they must be dinosaurs and the largest one can buy!! Haribo is fine and I would have done that too but we had run out. Daddy on the other hand came home with a whopping large helicopter on the first night and had a frown of disapproval when a kinder surprise was given on the second night! He has stopped asking for his evening treat now, possibly in dismay at the smaller sized treats!!!

Thank you so much, very valuable comments! Shall buy a mattress protector and try the lunch time nap without a nappy. Thought we had one but in move it has ended up goodness knows where!! He does use the potty before his nap and has a drink of milk which hasn't resulted in any wetness but I also get him to go to potty once he wakes. Although at nursery he doesn't have milk before a nap. (Spoilt at home plus it has helped us to get him back into a lunch nap after 6 months of being rather hit and miss with one at all!) We have toilet trainer seat and step that he does sit on so shall introduce this instead of potty. Quite right nicer to empty than a potty although he seems inclined to take his potty to his favourite spot, near the front door or his bedroom, for a poo! Have bambino mio trainer pants but silly mummy bought size too large so shall try tomorrow with just going out with spare set of clothes. Gulp!! Control and understanding is definitely the point and I feel that he is getting there with it plus the valuable aid of stickers! Oh and Daddy making a big deal of it every night when home from work with praise and a little treat. We definitely do not want to return to nappies and even if accidents at home/nursery just want as little fuss and for him to be comfortable. Next step - When do you take the step for no night nappy? Is that in a few months or just keeping an eye on the nappies in the morning? Yes Mellors WELL Done to you as well. We must have been barking mad to contemplate and attempt this in the middle of a very cold winter!! Or thanks to the snow for making me get on with it!! A huge well done to our children.(tu)

Also got my partner the book that Keef suggests = Bloke's Guide to Pregnancy' and while laddish I think it put a different spin on it for both my partner and I!! Plus he also read the pregnancy books I had or should I say the bits I thought he should know about!!

We are on day 4 of potty training my 2 year 3 month old boy and dare I say it, without it all now backfiring, it has gone amazingly well. Day 1 a huge success with wee and poo in potty, day 2 poo in pants and day 3 no poos but now on day 4 he has begun to poo again and this time in potty. We started off with wearing no pants for the first day, then introduced pants on day 2. He is so good at recognising when he needs to go and I do not need to prompt him now at day 4. He has only had a couple of accidents. The couple of accidents were when we were mainly out in the garden and he didn't make it inside in time. Which now leads me to some questions that I am hoping you can help me with as all of my potty books are nowhere to be found: How long is it suggested before venturing out into the big wide world again?(Really need to get to supermarket and we are both becoming affected with cabin fever and I don't think I can watch yet another Ice Age 3!) Introducing trousers! He has been in his pants inside and track pants in garden so any tips on types of trousers? He just seems to pull of his pants to use the potty and struggles to get them back on possibly due to age. I'm sure with more practice over the next couple of weeks he may master this, even if they are on back to front and inside out!! Nap time - he is becoming reluctant to wear a nappy and has woken dry the last 4 days so should I forgo this? I'm reluctant to as we have just managed to get him back into an after lunch nap routine and wouldn't want a wet bed waking him and deterring him from naps again! Nursery - as I'm off for 2 weeks from school this has been a perfect time but am hoping that once he returns to nursery it will continue as started. They had been introducing it there as we had morning and night here. Is the 2 weeks enough time to get him dry and ready for his return? Also they have lower toilets there so should I encourage him to use the toilet seat here which he has sat on in the past in the next week? Reading this back now it seems like trivial questions and I am sure there are other ones but would be grateful for any suggestions. Hmmm, new developmental stages are funny times!

Yes I reiterated what you had said!! Not members only as you had said......

No not members only as nymom has said. Just turn up and pay. Much better than joining a club and having to pay for sessions you may miss. Cheap as chips too especially as my son does not always want to follow what is asked of him and would rather run around like a lunatic at 2!!

Rupert Bear dvd seems to be my 2yr 2 months favourite when getting home at 6pm, after his long day at nursery. Have to say that this is good for me while trying to get dinner ready after a long day at work!! He puts dvd in and waits for me to press play and is happy singing out what Rupert and pals are doing while I'm in the kitchen. No concerns about his tv watching as most times if it is on during the day, on the weekend, he will ignore it. Whatever works I say!!

London aquarium is fab and our boy loved it at that age. We went back again in the summer when he was 2 and it still held him mesmerised! Plus the stroll along the river is lovely with boats being a huge attraction as well as the entertainers, which is all free of course. Plus there is a playground there if you wanted to take a picnic. Understand the nap bit but we would go with the flow on days like that when it was rare for us all to have a day out. Nap in pushchair?? Or no nap at all and have some fresh air?? Have a lovely day out!!

Not all or most TA's recruited are graduates these days. Also volunteers can be beneficial in a school especially as schools have been hit by budget cuts. CRB check would be required which is an easy application to do. Speaking from personal experience as a teacher and senior leader within another borough. Worth getting a feel of what individual school ethos is on volunteer TAs. Good luck!

We are using a balance bike called First Bike for our 2 year old. Not wooden made of glass alloy. All we can say is absolutely brilliant!! Bought ours from starterbikes.co.uk.

This is so tricky. We have recently experienced a negative experience at nursery with our 2 year old. He has been at the nursery for over 1 year and made the transition from baby room to toddler room with a bit of a shaky start - being clingy at drop off, unsure of himself and didn't seem to like it. We had also moved house so thought there may have been a few too many changes. Then once he seemed to have settled again one of his favourite key workers left. The following week we had 5 afternoon pick ups of being told he was not listening, pushing children and being given time outs as well as sent to the nursery managers office. As a teacher myself I gritted my teeth until the following Monday when I picked him up again and was told they would work with us on his behaviour issues! My son is a very gentle soul and full of love, always kind to others especially his peers but is also spirited. He is also very articulate, from a young age, and was telling us about other children at nursery but would not talk to us about his day anymore. He also became incredibly clingy to me at home and would not settle to bed at night unless we held his hand to go to sleep muttering to himself about what had happened that day i.e being sent to the nursery manager. Plus we noticed a slight stammer had developed which I know could be developmental or associated with a stressful experience. So after my 6th negative feedback I forcefully told them how we felt, how my son was responding at home, stammer and the change in him generally with nursery experience. Also that their negative comments each day were quite over the top when I picked him up. I also asked about adult/child ratio due to the member of staff leaving and him missing her. They did work with us once they realised that he was very unhappy and we seem to be turning a corner again - he is talking positively about nursery again and running in each morning. The nursery also apologised for missing signs and admitted that being a member down had affected things. It is such a hard and difficult time especially when your instincts are so in tune with your child. Plus for me as a teacher who diplomatically (or so I hope) was able to place across different view points. I would strongly suggest that you talk with the nursery setting to try to sort out the underlying problems. At the end of the day we told them that our child is happy, secure, confident and an independent thinker that we wanted to nurture and they were either to work with us or we would find another nursery. My main concern as yours was that I didn't want him traumatised anymore. Although we are monitoring the care and our sons happiness I would not have any doubt but to move him if this happened again! Good luck and I do feel how gutted you are as well as feeling hopeless.

Firstly I need to thank another forumite who suggested a 'First Bike' when I was debating a micro mini scooter. (Sorry I can't remember your name!) Anyway we bought the First Bike this week and after a couple of goes in our living room in the evening we took our just 2 year old out on it this afternoon, around the neighbourhood and through the park. In total we were out on it, or rather he was, for about 1.5 hours and he loved every minute of it. I was so proud of his balance on it, no spills off (as yet but early days) and he was chuffed to be kitted out in his helmet and pads etc! This bike is absolutely brilliant as a balance bike and very light plus not wooden so doesn't swell if becomes wet. We opted for the cross road wheels instead of the street wheels and a handbrake too. I would have to say the best ?85.00 I have invested in for our boy and don't think we shall be getting a micro mini, as a result. Just thought others may also like feedback on our experience if they hadn't heard or have one already. Attached a link of where we bought ours from and it was delivered within 3 days. http://www.starterbikes.co.uk/