Toddler Questions - help required - (I am sure I should know all this?!)

[Emmiedarling]

My son was 2 in September and suddenly i feel as if time is passing my by and there are things I ought to be thinking about but haven't.

So i need you thoughts/opinions/advice.

1. Buggy... When did you ditch yours?
2. Dentist.. Should he have been by now?
3. Milk at night and in the morning...Bottles went ages ago but he still has a cup (with lid) in the morning (doesn't really seem that fussed) and one at night. Is this still the norm at 2?
4. Bed.. He's still in a cot and not climbing out. I am tending to think I should prolong this one!!!! Am i right?

Thank you!

1. Using buggy board as DD2 arrived.

1. First dental appt at 6 months. We were there this week and first fluoride varnish was applied.

1. No milk overnight since 8 months. Water offered only after teeth brushing.

1. Still in cot. No plans to change until she potty trains overnight. Can't see that happening before 3.

DD1 is 27 months.

No bottles since 18 months. Now using an open cup for milk and a SIGG bottle for water.

1. buggy, still occasionally use for 3 yo dd but only when I know it is going to be a long day. That's down to my lifestyle and where I live though which means that even simple things like picking new clothes up for her involve a long trip on public transport.

1. Dentist started getting teeth checked at about 1 just adding in to the family check up.

1. She dropped morning and night drinks of milk as soon as I took the bottles away at 1. I offered in a cup but she wouldn't drink, she does have plenty of milk in other ways though.

1. She stayed in her cot till about 2.3 when she started climbing out, she did transfer into a bed very easily and stays in it very well unlike her big sister.

Buggy -yes, but only when we are in town

Milk - yes. He uses a cup but I let him have a bottle in the morning and afternoon. No sippy cups for us though, he didn't understand them.

Dentist - started taking him from 6 months with the idea of having flouride varnish applied but he won't open his mouth so I don't think that will be happening anytime soon!

Cot - he started climbing out in the summer so we cut a ruddy great hole in the side and he now climbs in and out as he pleases.

DD is 2y5m

1. Use a buggy board with her baby brother or walk (at snails pace!). I have a double buggy I will use if we're out all day or if I want to be somewhere quickly/it's raining.

1. First went to the dentist around 9 months and I think they're supposed to go every 6 months

1. She has milk in a spouty cup first thing when she wakes up and when she wakes up after her afternoon nap. At her 2 year check, the HV said a 2yo should drink a pint of milk a day, that's not including on cereal etc. I thought that was a lot!

1. Still in a cot and definitely no plans to move until we absolutely have to - probably when she's dry at night I guess.

To get used to the idea of the dentist, I asked my dentist for gloves, a mask and the goggle things so DD1 and I could 'play' dentists for a few weeks before the appt.We practised saying Ah and opening wide. We used a toothbrush to 'count' the teeth.

She did really well She was clutching her Jessie Cat and muslin comforter but she did everything the dentist asked. Not keen on the banana flavour fluoride though.

Buggy - still sometimes used aged 5. I don't drive, and will use a pushchair for the sort of journey for which it would be acceptable to drive.

Dentist - mine went from around 6 months or so at the same time as my appointments.

My 8 year old still has hot milk at bedtime.

If the cot works and he still fits, then why change it?

Firstly, do it when its right for you & your family.
But since you've asked :)

Buggy. Not really sure, I hung on to it for a while for all day shopping trips etc. where else do you hang your bags?
Dentist - they always came with me & the denist started looking & counting their teeth once they had enough through to count. They are 15 & 12 now & neither have ever had any dental treatment. Just check ups.

Bottles, ds1 loved his bottles and kept his nightime bottle until about 3 1/2.
Ds2 I think had enough by about 18 months
Morning bottles, I really stopped when I replaced for a milky cereal when weaning.

Cot- ds1 was under 2 when he went in to a bed, but he could climb like a chimp.
Ds2 was 3, still slept well enough in his cot, never tried to climb out so we stuck with a good nights sleep for all for as long as possible.

Stargirl my son isn't 2 until third week of November so I think I will revisit the flouride varnish in another 6 months and see if he can follow instructions better at that stage.

Right now he doesn't talk and understands some things I say but not a huge amount. So me telling him to open wide would get met with a very blank expression.

Buggy - DS1 was using it regularly til about 2.5ish, getting less and less as he headed towards 3. DS2 is 22 months, I can't see us giving the buggy up for some considerable time.

Dentist - Both boys have just come with us from babyhood. They didn't want to register them on his own merit til about 18 months but quite happy to let them sit in the chair, get a sticker, quick look at teeth if possible before that when we were there.

Milk - Can't remember. DS1 was bf at this age, he probably had an evening cup of milk til about 3?

Bed - We took the sides of DS1's cotbed at about 2.6 because we were due to go away with no travel cot. It was fine. DS2 will stay in there forever as long as I can contain him.

DS is 2.4

Buggy - most definitely yes I'm afraid! For school runs (10 minutes and chaos at the doors) and any trips around town etc. However, DD didn't go in it once she was 2 - it's a management tool for me, not a mobility one.

Milk - when he asks for it, usually for breakfast and teatime. Was BF so no bottles to give up. Just open cups here.

Dentist - we've been. He screamed...

Bed - bottom bunk in shared room with sister since 2.2. He loves it!

Buggy - occasionally
milk - a sippy cup before bed, teeth are brushed afterwards
dentist - we went but he wasn't keen. Next appt next week...
bed is still a cot. I'll use it until he climbs out as I think he'll stop napping without it

Dd 2.5 yrs

Buggy- with me yes. I'm 32 weeks pregnant and after a while she wants carrying if we don't have the buggy which is a nightmare. I always take it and let her walk until she's tired but if I want to get anywhere quickly she will be made to go in it.

Dentist- taken her once at 2 yrs old and she refused to let the dentist look in her mouth so he said to bring her in another 6 months. I'm happy with her teeth as she gets 2 good brushes every day.

Milk- she has a small amount in a sippy in the morning, mainly to keep her occupied while we get breakfast ready as she's an impatient little madam! Before bath she has a straw cup of 200ml, then teeth brushed whilst in bath and only water offered once teeth brushed.

Bed- she went into a bed 2 weeks after her 2nd birthday with no problems. Only the first night I found her curled up on her rug next to the radiator. Made a nice pic to show her in years to come and a bit of a laugh for us but just scooped

Oops hadn't finished!

Just scooped her up and popped her back in bed and not had a problem ever since. She loves her big girl bed.

My dd is 2.1

Buggy, I let her stand in it or walk a fair bit but still use IT asthe norm

Milk, am if she aska for it, before bed usually - both in a sippy cup

Bed -we took the side off her cot at 18 months.

Dd is 2.11 now.

Buggy - still use it when we go out without the car. If we're taking the car but there will be walking at the other end (day out etc), we take buggy.

Dentist - attempted to make appt at 6 months when her teeth came through, but dentist said they don't do it before 3 because there's no point and they don't get it. So I just encourage her to brush her teeth when I do mine.

Milk - she's still breastfeeding, but she only has it when she wakes in the night and won't settle and in the morning when she wakes.

Bed. She's still in with us and we're not fussed about her moving out. Uf she were in a cot, I think I would remove the sides when she starts wanting to get out on her own in the morning.

We still use the buggy at 2.9 but I don't drive and there is no local public transport bus only goes along main road so we walk everywhere use it for long walks and rain/cold the group we go to tomorrow is a 30 min walk for me with buggy without would take an hour he would walk there but no way would he manage back he's be shattered and it would be hellish. Not getting rid til the better weather next year.

We go to dentist every 6 months our dentist surgery txt us to remind us.

He either has milk or water at bedtime in a cup he like s drink in bed but i've cut the amount because his nappy was too wet by 5/6am.

He's been in a single bed since 18mo and used the cot bed for 2 months before that, I have a back problem and was struggling to left him in and out the cot so it had to go. He loves his bed and sleeps much better in it than in his cot.