Mens

Where is the closest venue that has toddler cinema?

Hello everyone, Like many third time mums I don't do anything with my 22mth old apart from drag her along to all her sibling's activities. She's starting to get bored and I am starting to feel guilty. It's really difficult to do things at home as even storytime ends up being a battle as they fight for my attention and scramble over eachother to see which page I'm on. She has a couple of medical conditions which mean that while she is fine she will become ill if she becomes fatigued or freezing cold (so energetic dance classes and swimming are out for now). I wondered if anyone had any suggestions of activities that she could do long term (I would like her to have a hobby that she could keep doing aswell as the two of us enjoying it when she is young). Does anyone have any class suggestions (preferably ones that run on thursdays or fridays). Thank you

I didnt enjoy the classes at all. I don't see the point of them (this is just my opinion). I understand why they can be useful if a child is a late talker or has hearing difficulty otherwise I find they are uneccessary. I have always understood what my children are saying without signing. Two of mine spoke in sentences from 15mths and were having proper conversations by the time they were 20mths (the two who didnt go to sing and sign) but even the one who didnt speak early could always let me know what she wanted even if she made up her own words for things. Perhaps it is because my daughter didnt take to it that I thought it was of no use. Others may have had a different experience. I did enjoy the social aspect. As with everything around here it is another opportunity to meet more mums and babes.

I was googling this and looking on the forum a few months ago. I was sure my middle child had ADHD I came across something called Dabrowski's excitabilities and for the first time felt as if I understood her and found strategies to deal with her!! google is, it might fit your son too. I work with alot of ADHD kids and they are all very different (some need medication, others need behavioural strategies put in place). One thing I will say, whilst they drive their parents and teachers up the wall their peers absolutely love them.

mmmm....blood tests definitely show up dog allergies as my daughter had one last month and it showed up cat and dog. Might still have to wait until after 2 (although 2 of mine were tested for dairy before 2)

King's also do blood tests for allergies if you request this instead of skin prick. They give more detailed results. One of mine was shown to be mildly allergic to dogs and had different levels of allergy to other things.

The reception class at Horniman is excellent!! outstanding ofsted and well deserved. Some teachers higher up in the school are very good and keen to push children so they make higher than expected levels of progress. Probably not as academic as Fairlawn but a very happy place IMO. Depends what you are looking for...

two of mine have dairy allergies/intolerance. According to dietician oatmilk is best, Ricemilk contains arsenic so is not for children under four. I find that sardines go down well. Some calcium fortified bread contains milk so be careful to read the label. My youngest has a vit d deficiency, she was prescribed vitamins (which she spits out) - I would be interested to hear more about the sun lamp please...

I appreciate everyone's comments. Food for thought. Thank you!

Thank you everyone! That's an interesting way to look at it Canela. That's actually a good way to look at everything in life!

Thank you sooo much for your responses!! I do think they may notice the differences less at primary and I would not keep them at that particular school for secondary (although I would consider a different indie for them and also consider state). It's so difficult!! We live too far away for them to have playdates so that would be a factor. They have visited the school and LOVE it! I am fine with all types of people as I had an unusual upbringing which is something I would like them to have. My worries were how they would be treated by others. It seems like secondary would be the problem rather than the primary years.

My kids have been offered bursaries at private school (lower school). I am a teacher but this school contains some ordinary kids but mostly extremely privileged children (celebs, Arab royalty etc). i cannot decide whether they will be okay there or whether they will get left out/picked on/bullied etc...or simply feel inadequate. The headteacher told me that there is some jealousy amongst the kids, I am not sure which age group he was referring to though. I am trying to decide whether to put them there or leave them where they are. They are very keen to join the school but at 5 and 6 everything seems like an adventure. My friends are telling me not to miss out on the places otherwise I will regret it when the time for secondary school arrives (the bursary scheme for new teachers will end soon), however, the friends I have spoken to do not have kids. What do you all think? What would you do???

My toddler has been climbing up the ladder since she was 16months old. I remove it during the day but when she wakes up in the morning she is straight up there. Even removing it during the day means that she climbs up the end of it and jumps up and down up there. It's really quite scary. Also when friends come over we end up with about 5 kids playing around up there (regardless of how many times I ask them to get down). I think bunkbeds are fine when kids are over 5 (6 is the official age). I was told by the man in the store that most injuries occur whilst kids are playing, rather than them falling out.

I started off using a nanny to solve a similar issue but very quickly realised that my daughters LOVED the afterschool club. In addition to the normal child-care based ASC (where they do lots of activities such as cooking, IT, dvds, arts and crafts, football), there are also after-school clubs at many schools such as half hour ballet lessons, cookery, french etc. They are at school in Forest Hill. Their ASC finishes at 5.45pm which can be a pain as 6.30pm would be easier but they are really happy, warm and comfortable there and well cared for.

Oh my gosh, this is soooo funny!! .....and so true!! I can't stop laughing

Hi, Thinking, maybe, perhaps moving to Peterborough. Does anyone know which areas are nice to live in (and which aren't). Want somewhere that isn't too quiet but not a dangerous, bustling part of town. Also, more importantly, what are the secondary schools like? Any suggestions of good secondary (and primary) school? Thank you!

I wish I had known where to get the vaccine a year ago!! I asked GP for it but was refused. DD1 had severe CP, DD2 had mild CP and DD3 was hospitalised with encephalitis several months later and it was suspected that it was due to CP complications (although not confirmed). I guess having vaccinations or not is a gamble. When she was ill recently the consultant said that it might be due to complications with the flu vaccine and I also read research recently that severe allergies might be cause by vaccines. Who really knows????

I was stuck feeding my second for 27 months and in the end stopped completely without ever managing to stop the night feeds. I have a 19 month old now and we are on our second week of daytime only feeds (after 19mths of ALL night feeding). It might be easier when they understand you abit more but I told her and made clear to her there would be no more night feeds. She was fine the first night then the tantrums started but I kept telling myself that they were just that and after a tantrum filled night she again accepted that she could feed only during "wakey wakey time". She does sometimes wake up and ask for a hug and although I don't like getting up, a hug isn't draining at all! I think YOU need to get it clear in your own mind that you won't feed during the night and then follow it through. What helped me was the realisation that we hadn't been to the park for ages and I was ratty all the time, I knew that I could once again be a "fun mum" if only I had a teeny bit of energy.... I actually ran down the road with my other two today, no more achey bones or drained feeling (a feeling you only notice was there once you stop feeding!). In my experience siblings never wake up when the other cries.... maybe lack of sympathy as they know what it's about, lol. As breastfeeding mums it's easy to feel helpless but in reality we are the ones teaching our babies how to behave and what boundaries ther should be. Mine don't love me any less when they can't yank my top down and shout out "booby" in the street or munch away happily all night. All of us would love to have our favourite, most wonderful ever treat whenever we wanted it (Champagne for me!), but we don't mind that much when we can't have it ON DEMAND, and neither do our bubbas.

Oh my gosh!!! I've cracked it!! Last night I said "mummy's not going to feed you anymore at night but I will feed you at wakey, wakey time". She said "ok" and slept all night. She also went down to sleep without a feed tonight!!! I guess she was feeding because I "taught" her to do this. She actually seems relieved to be able to sleep now!! I can't believe how different some babies are! Gosh!!

Yes, I need to get into the mindset of realising that I am important too. I like Dr Jay Gordon's approach...will try that actually...

My old neighbours were like that... I know there is a special sound/shock absorbent (?sp) carpet you can buy as my friend had to buy it for a similar reason and it worked well. It was actually really comfy to walk on.

Yeah.... I probably should stop. I have started feeling annoyed whenever she comes towards me, poor thing. One of the problems is that she had a brain infection last year and the only thing she had for two weeks was breastmilk. The Drs were really supportive and couldn't believe she didn't need a drip. Even though her getting ill was completely random and extremely unlucky, I still need to convince myself that even if it does happens again it doesn't necessarily matter if I am feeding her or not.... Will soldier on until I've talked myself round......

Thanks Canela. I BF first till she was 10mths. She self weaned as she had developed anaphylaxis. Second was 2 and a half, I didn't crack the night feed thing, just told her one day that it was her last feed ever and she was fine with it. I probably need to buy vitamins. 7 and a half years of either pregnancy or feeding is wearing me out...

Thank you for the responses. Planning to keep feeding her until she's two. When she's with me she feeds all day long, which I really dislike. Although on nursery days when she hasn't filled up on milk she still feeds all night even though she's eaten normally throughout the day (and had unbroken sleep at nursery!!!). You're all right, the key may be to stop her associating getting back to sleep with milk from mummy.... The one night I had a LONG night out and daddy put her to sleep she didn't bother waking up until the morning. I guess staying away at bedtime might be the solution.

Desperately need tips on how to get my (still breastfed) 19 month old to sleep through the night. I am sooo tired and often go to work after waking up seven or eight times during the night to feed her. I somehow got away with it with my first two but it finally seems to be taking its toll on my body... Any tips, ideas welcome/needed....can't sustain this much longer...