June 2013 - the terrible twos aren't so terrible

[Biscuitswithtea]

Here goes with a new thread!

Looking after kids when ill has got to be the worst possible thing. If that happens on a non nursery day it will cost us 120 quid to pay for the extra day but I reckon it would still be worth it. Pretty much everyone I know is back at work now so there really wouldn't be anyone to help out. It's got to be worth having the flu jab for this reason alone! I think I would merrily slaughter Sean if he went to work in those circumstances.

The concept of applying for pre school is fairly alien to me. Is it like applying to school. We just found a convenient nursery, handed them 18k a year for three days a week and off we go. I had rather assumed people would all be local but they actually come from all over as it's near the station. So you can drop off and then go straight to work.

Someone said that once she's in school all her friends will be within a quarter of a mile which will be nice!

It would so be worth it! I was not capable of looking after them properly, it was awful. There should be an emergency childcare option. I've had emergency surgery once in the past six months and the chances are that I'll need it again - what will happen to the children if DH and the inlaws are away (fairly likely)?! The one friend I might have asked has just had another baby.

It is like applying to school. Not complicated - they're mostly interested in why you're applying to go there (siblings, distance etc). But just as scary.

That is nice re the friends and one positive of it being hard to get in (especially as I don't drive)! DD's 'best' friend from playgroup is only 3 months younger than her but will be in the year below which makes me sad as they play really nicely together.

There are plenty of emergency childcare options. Things like sitters.co.uk. There kind of has to be. If I had a case in court and Sean was away and the kids were sick I couldn't just not turn up to Court. A lot of people I know with jobs more important than mine has contracts with an agency whose name escapes me but who basically provide a nanny to your door in the event your regular childcare falls through. I think in this day and age people don't have local support they can call on so these companies fill the gap. For a price! Once she's in nursery discretely ask if they will do babysitting. Most will. We left Polly with one of the nursery girls when I was in hospital with Juno. It's brilliant as they come pre checked and obviously know your child!

Will be looking into those sites!

As it's a nursery attached to the school I'm not sure if they'd be allowed but I'll keep that in mind as it'd be ideal!

Forgot to say DD finally has all her teeth through now!

I think DD is getting her last one through now as her cheeks keep going red and rough and she can be whingy as hell at times!

I've been playing with Play Doh for what feels like hours today. Roll on work tomorrow! 😀

Depends on the set up. Most nurseries are staffed by young girls earning a fraction more than minimum wage. To the extent that what they do in their own time is up to them they are very happy to take your money. If a pre school is staffed by teacher types who earn decent ish money then they may be less keen!

Not a hope of me trying to count her teeth:)

My neighbour has made arrangements with some of the nursery staff privately for childcare out if hours. It'd worked really well because the staff know her boys well, she knows the staff are great. Also like Bean says they're not on great money so a bit of extra cash has always been appreciated.

My brother has also used one of those childcare agencies for years for babysitting and the odd bit of emergency childcare as he doesn't have family near.

Hmm teacher types from what I've seen (but I've only seen them in the play area and walking around the area so it's possible there are young ones lurking inside). Heard the teacher teaching them the road name once; she pronounced it totally differently to us (i.e. correctly - we still make the pronunciation up as we go along). DD already corrects us on things all the time (she's always right - the shame). I fear it's about to get much worse.

It would be worse if you were kiwi or Aussie etc. My friends kids who were born and are growing up here pronounce things the English way and correct their Aussie parents: it's pasta not pahsta mummy!

I'm glad you say that - the way John Torode on Master Chef pronounces pasta has been confusing me for years. I thought it was a posh way of saying it commoner

There is a guy at work who say try-age instead of Tree-age. Makes me want to punch him.

What I think must be really weird is when your kids first language is not yours. I know someone who married a Swedish guy and they live in Barcelona. The kids speak Catalan and Spanish ahead of English. Her Catalan and Spanish is no where near good enough to keep up!

Bean - I know someone who says try-age too. I used to work with someone else who pronounced the t in dementia so that it became de-ment-eea

I think some of our nursery staff babysit, though we haven't enquired we just don't go out much now!

Also, apparently our two year olds turn three soon (how the hell did that happen?) Anyone got any good present ideas up their sleeve? Currently a bit stuck for ds. Maybe more duplo. Maybe a wooden farm set...

Welsh schools are quite popular here even for children whose parents don't speak a word of it. I know someone who sent their child and the child got told off if they were caught speaking English at school! She said that he sometimes struggled to find the correct English word for things when at home. DD will have to learn Welsh when she starts school as it's compulsory here. I wasn't sure how I felt about that but thinking back to the last time I was job hunting (a while ago!) a lot of jobs said speaking some Welsh was essential (makes sense if everyone here learns it) so I guess it's for the best in case she wants to stay. And it should make learning other languages easier in the future.

I sometimes think about pronunciation too much and confuse myself. I say often without the t but some people say it with.

We've got DD a toy kitchen. And someone else is getting her a cash register as she likes playing shops.

You can never have enough duplo though.

Biscuits I want to get her a scooter but DH thinks we should get her a bike now she's nailed the balance bike. I'm not convinced - I think it's too advanced for her.

Scooters are good fun too :) We know quite a few kids who have gone straight from balance bike to pedal bike without stabilisers (Islabike seems to be the brand of choice) though admittedly not til around the 4yo mark.

If we DH manages more clearing in the garden then ds will get a slide. We might get one regardless, in anticipation of a cleared space ;)

I have bump rage today. In the same day "you're nearly 6months?! You're so neat!" and "that's a fair size bump for 25 weeks". I want to tell them all to sod off and scoff baked potato for tea!

I think we are doing a scooter and a small trampoline here for presents. I'm not really sure though as it would leave bugger all to get for DS in July. We shall have to see!

DD will be learning Spanish at school, I think.

Is French no longer the default? Languages are one thing I'd be inclined to pay for extra tuition in. Mine are non existent. Would be such an asset given we have the right to roam about Europe. Or rather we do until the referendum in any event. I know people who went to uni in Europe because they spoke the languages and so could save the fees. Another reason to stay in!

Bugger me the islabike is 249 quid! That's almost as much as my bike cost. Err think the child will just have to cope with a halfords special

Have a look 2nd hand Sunny. We know of a couple of ebay/gumtree successes with Islabikes. But yes terrifyingly expensive for a kids bike. But as I understand it they are so well rated because they are like adult bikes in miniature so are really well designed. We would maybe consider it for ds in a year or so on the basis that it would then do dc2 also but really it would depend on financial priorities at the time!

Spanish seems to be the default language in schools round here. I'm happy with that though.

We're finally somewhere with toilet training. DD mentioned the nappy fairy a couple of days ago (thanks Bean!) and when I asked if she wanted her to come she said she did (but for her to leave nappies for nap time and night time). We're staying in all week as I'm still recovering from being ill so it is good timing. Yesterday, the first day, was interesting! But only one small accident all day today! She's got the hang of telling me she needs to go and holding it in until she gets upstairs, and she can also get on the loo herself now using her little step. DH is away all week so I'm taking full credit. Definitely much better for us just going for it. Still early days though (and dreading going out!).

She now wants the sides off her bed (DH says he will just take one side off when he gets back to see how it goes before taking the whole lot off again!).

Oh, and she got a nursery place!

Well done on the nursery place, Cup :-)

Right, talk me through the nappy fairy. I'm willing to try anything now as DD just isn't moving forwards on this!

Thank you :)

At Bean's suggestion I just mentioned that there's a nappy fairy who comes and takes away nappies (but leaves some for night time - and nap time for now). Her response was not good - the thought of it upset her a bit! However it obviously stuck with her because she brought it up herself a few days ago, almost a month later. We were in exactly the same position just a few days ago. The change in her is massive; she got up this morning saying she needed a wee and taking herself off to the toilet!