April 2011 - Babies turning one, shopping to be done, toddling, tantrums and talking to come

[Fraktal]

New stage, new thread!

whatever takes your fancy

Morning all.

Thinking of you, Gsy.

F is currently wearing Hush Puppies size 4 F & G. Hush Puppies do different width fitting foot beds.

DH, in his wisdom, got him sandals when it was nice in May. We've had to buy some closed shoes for our very changeable weather. But we got lucky in Brantano with an £11 pair.

Thinking of getting the measurer from the Clarks website. DH is a trained boot fitter, which helps.

F is currently having massive lunch-based tantrums. Because I keep telling him off for dropping/throwing everything off his tray. Oh, and because he keeps asking for yoghurt, and I keep saying no, it's for tea time.

He needs a nap.

Really, Fizz, you don't think they look like some bubblegum threw up on them?! I nearly got her your clumpy boy clogs instead but the friend I was with persuaded me on the pink

The biggest gripe I hear about girls Clarks are that they are all pretty much pink.

Has anyone mentioned going up a shoe size if the wide fit isn't available excuse? that can sometimes work.

Maybe in the future this sort of sandal may be a good idea? You can adjust the shoe in 3 different places ensuring a good fit, and Birki's tend to be wide.

Ds2 & 3 have both had that style of Birki sandal - I think they look v cute.

Maybe it's because of all the sludge colours you get for boys, when I see something colourfull I want it!! I've seen much worse.

I agree with both of you, ILTMIMI and Fizz - both 'girls' and 'boys' shoes are ridiculously limited. I mean they're 15mo. Why do they even need girls and boys shoes? They're SHOES. For tiny feet. And what's wrong with a bit of green, red or yellow FFS?!

ILTMIMI I will go up a size if necessary but am ridiculously protective of her little feets. I have spent most of my life going up a size (or two) because of my feet and they're never comfortable - they slip and rub. Honest to god, I've had only a handful of comfortable pairs of shoes, ever. They all involve varying levels of discomfort. Really trying to do the best I can to get shoes that genuinely fit her (even if they're bubblegum pink ). Birkis are a good tip although TBH I can't actually get my feet into adult birkis of my size.

I fourth the fact that the selection of 'girls' and 'boys' shoes is crap. I was adamant that I was buying sickly pick shoes but they were the only ones in her size that were in the sale, cheapo mum alert so it's pink shoes she has.

Does anybody know what Crocs are like for little ones? All my DNs have got them and love them but I'm not sure if DD is too wee. I was thinking they might be good for some beach and pool action when we're on our hols.

Ds3 wears Crocs around the garden and he walks fine in them.

Now off to the cinema to see The Wedding Video, I think it's either going to be shite or v funny.

How was The Wedding Video, Ilike?

Crocs. There's an idea.....

Changing the subject entirely... how's everyone doing with tooth brushing? Occasionally Jo will acquiesce quietly, but most of the time she's a refuser. I'm torn with how to deal with it. I try to distract her with something else then get in there for a quick brush, or I try to make it a game by brushing my teeth along with her. These sometimes work (30% of the time?) but most of the time just just clamps her jaws shut and screams and I'm at a loss with how to deal with it. I feel like pinning her down and jamming a toothbrush in her mouth is going to be counterproductive in the long run. I don't want to make it into a battleground. But then not brushing her teeth is not good either. She'll "do it herself" but that mostly involves sucking the toothbrush rather than brushing. I have to confess that most days I consider it a win if toothpaste has gone into her mouth. Anyone else have this problem? Is it just a phase that will pass?

S also sucks the toothpaste off. Dh is good at getting the toothbrush in and doing it. We do it when he's in the bath.

T is good with teeth, DS1 was a nightmare. We used to wrap him in a towel, lay him on the floor and hold him while we brushed.
He hated it, but soon got the message that it was something we wouldn't budge on. I can be a bit of a softie in some areas, but teeth are too important IMO

It's a struggle here too. P mostly wants to suck the toothpaste off it. We always manage a quick brush round her mouth but she hates it. She'll quite happily walk round sucking the damn thing though...

Do any of the toddlers spit the toothpaste out yet? It all gets swallowed here and I've got no idea how to change that!

Thinking of you Gsy, what terrible news.

Star I also only considered shoes for C that were in the sale. £30 for a pair of shoes that supposedly only last 12 weeks? I think not. They are pretty vile too but he's worn them maybe once, apart from on his hands to crawl around, which he loves. Might investigate Crocs, very cute.

Poor ecuse, sob! I also have many pairs of uncomfortable shoes but that because they have sky high heels as I am a short arse, so it's my own doing.

We brush teeth in the bath and C is given a selection of toothbrushes to hold. He's mad about them. Then I come from behind him and gently hold his chin while quickly trying to get a few teeth brushed. It's not overly successful and he'll do it for maybe 20 seconds before he wants to hold the toothbrush I'm using and suck it. Never spits so I just use a teeny amount of toothpaste.

How is sleep going UWB? We have a similar problem, C goes to sleep fine but it he wakes nothing will settle him. I put it down to teething as his lower pre molars are coming through. If I'm in the room he goes nuts but with DH he will lie down and eventually drop off. If he wakes and we're not there he starts up again. It happens maybe once or twice a week. Hellish.

Hello all. We're back from Beautiful Days festival. M is now a hippy festival girl . The rain on Thursday and Friday did make the site rather muddy but we had a big wheeled pram from ebay which got us through the mud and it dried up pretty well on Saturday. The journey was long - 7 hours and two stops each way but she only got really upset 15 minutes from home yesterday.
We all had a great time - M enjoyed the kids area - we went drumming and to toddler yoga, chatted to other parents and heard a few bands. We camped with friends rather than in the family camping area so we had extra eyes to watch M which worked out really well. Sleep wasn't too bad - she woke a few times but so did I. And somehow she slept through the fireworks after the Levellers on Sunday night - it sounded like we were in a war zone and the ground was shaking but she didn't stir !
It was great - I'm now wondering about squeezing in another camping trip this year.

Aaarrgghhhh

Flipping mealtimes.

I swear F is surviving on fresh air. Anyone else got this, or have any suggestions?

He's only eating a couple of mouthfuls of anything before launching the lot onto the floor and screaming the place down.

It can't be teeth, since apparently biscuits and yoghurt are not a problem.

I keep making a toddler sized meal, give him about 1/3, of which he might eat less than half.

What can I do? I thought blw was supposed to avoid this?

I don't want to get into the habit of making him something different so he learns that he can get something else by chucking his dinner.

He's now asking for milk. He's nearly 17 months, he should be having more than milk, surely.

And the longer this goes on, the more tired & irrational we're both he's going to get.

Oh, Jo, he's going down ok now, but waking at least twice around 1 & 3am. I'm not going to be able to hack that when school starts.

He's now trying to be ever-so cute. I'm hungry and annoyed. I must remember he's little! I'm going to eat some cake.

Is dinner time close to when he wakes? A needs to be awake a while before he will eat. My friends lo one was doing the same as s if I tried feeding him too soon. I have to leave his breakfast for a few hours after his bottle now too or he won't eat it and I get wound up (like this morning when I was in a rush)

Lunch ends up being just before his nap, so he's too tired & grumpy, or just after, which isn't too bad but he still won't eat much.

It's tea times that are worst. And protein. We don't eat a lot of meat, and F is refusing whatever he's given. He's doing ok with cheese & eggs though.

I've caved and put a plate of mini pittas on the floor in front of cbeebies, a la supernanny. So far he's eaten the grapes.

He took the ham out of one pitta, ate 1/4 of the bread. Dumped the rest on the floor and put the empty plate by the tv.

Now he's picking the sweetcorn & dairylea out of the other.

Sounds tough UBW. DD still eats everything with gusto but everybody keeps telling me it won't last. I'm not sure what to do for the best if (when) it does - I don't imagine it can help if mealtimes turn into a battle but can imagine it stressing me out if she starts refusing food.

Festival sounds fab chilli. I wish I was a camper but I'm so not. It's the lack of electricity for the hair straighteners that scares me off

Sounds tough UBW

When ds2 started to get fussy and refusing foods (when he was about 2.5yo), I would still offer him a meal (the same as what we were all eating) and if he didn't eat it he wouldn't get anything else. He never once complained of feeling hungry after not having any dinner, so I just had to accept that he wasn't hungry and he was regulating his own intake. Either that or it was about control. The only thing young children and babies can control is what goes in their mouth.

But I didn't relent and he went back to eating everything again quite quickly. He still has the odd few days here and there when he doesn't eat his dinner, but he is big enough now to make and understand his own decisions.

But could I do the same with a 15mo? Gawd knows. But I was adamant that I was not going to back myself into a culinary corner and only offer him a meal that I knew he would eat, ie chips every day, when I knew that there were other foods that he liked but for whatever reason was stubbornly refusing.

Going back to 'they only thing that they can control is what they eat', I would also take the inevitable tension away from mealtimes. Even if you are seething inside, don't show it and stay calm - having a radio on helps I find. If your negative attention is what they are after, don't give it to them.

It's like a bloody battle field isn't it?

Meant to say Chilli, was the festival in Devon? Some friends were there too - I remember her mentioning The Levellers.

We are camping for one night in a couple of weeks

I see you mentioned milk UBW, does he have much?

Maybe you could offer less milk and eventually he will then eat a bit more? I have no idea what the recommended amount per day is though - sorry.

Yes, it was in Devon. The camping has been great, hope the weather is fine for you - it makes all the difference.

I'm worrying about food too - she seems to eat everything at nursery but not a lot at home. While we were away we tried to buy food that she'd eat too but I think she ate garlic bread, a mouthful of lasagne and some chips. Breakfast was ok as we took cereal. Tonight she's eaten a bit of pasta, some banana and cake. I end up offering the banana and cake in an attempt to fill her up (and thus sleep better) but I'd love her to eat more savoury. I'm off work this week so may consult the River Cottage baby and toddler cookbook for some new ideas.
One thing she started doing at the weekend was feeding me - it was very funny. Maybe that might work with other foods - I seem to recall it was suggested for teeth cleaning too - they do yours while you do theirs.

He's still having BF morning & night although it can't be that much. He often has a small amount (2cm depth in a tt sippy cup) at breakfast and a similar amount about 3ish. How does that compare?

The cbeebies & floor picnic approach was much more relaxed, but he still hardly ate any.

I also, like chilli, offered him banana with yoghurt in an attempt to fill him up. He didn't finish that either.

DH is off tomorrow & Thursday so I've put him in charge of feeding.

I might start weighing his food before & after. Maybe he's eating more than I think.

Oooooh, I didn't know there was a River Cottage kiddy book.

I wouldn't think that amount of milk would make any difference tbh UBW . I think having dh in charge of food for a few days is a fab idea, it takes the pressure off of you.

Do you think this is a problem that needs fixing? He seems to be eating a wide variety of food, just not as much as you would like him too. Maybe the heat affects his appetite?

I would also say maybe step away from the scales, it may worry you even more. You already know that he is not eating as much as you would like him too. Being able to put exact numbers against it may feed the paranoia?

I think ds's canines are making their presence felt. The drooling is quite impressive!