June 2013 - the terrible twos aren't so terrible

[Biscuitswithtea]

Here goes with a new thread!

Had a quick Google and it sounds like they do like to do it at 3 years 4 months for some reason.

As with all these things it varies massively. I think my perspective is influenced a lot by the fact I work with people from all over. I think in the states they leave the boosters until twelve. We definitely seem to be the country that starts them all so much earlier than the rest. Which seems to be a constant theme.

I agree with the treating them equally theme but does that mean you will get DS done again at 3.5 to make sure he has the same coverage as DD? I don't think I'm likely to bother getting Juno done again.

Have you read that thread for people applying for school next year? Stories of children just turning up on day one whose parents didn't bother applying! Brilliant.

As they're fairly close in age I think I want them to be covered at the same time and as they've had the vaccination at roughly the same time this time around I'd get them both done again if I decided to go down that route. I'm sure they'll know more in a couple of years so I'll make my decision then.

Yes, I have been reading that! I can see how it happens though; I research everything and have been worrying about a school place for DD since she was born but a lot of people don't look into anything at all. We were sent nothing about nursery places automatically. I think they're supposed to send forms for school places out but systems miss people out and post goes astray (DS's booster vaccination letter never turned up here which they were surprised at). It's another month until we can apply for a school place here.

I don't think I'm ever contacted about anything! Nursery has an active and involved parent group and people tend to share stuff which acts as a prompt. Before we bought this house we carefully researched catchment areas etc. Very important to be close, as in within a quarter of a mile of, a good non religious school. Some of the parents say 'oh yes she will be going to x school' and I think 'you live 3/4 miles away, and that school has never taken more than half a mile. How is it you don't know that'. They will of course then be extremely lucky as there won't be a single sibling and they will say 'see I told you' . And I will be annoyed.

I didn't know more jags (Scottish!) were required at this stage. Guess we are 3 years 4 months at the end of this month. Did you get a letter?

Ha!

People had me worried by saying DD would be very lucky to get into the nursery, despite not knowing exactly where we live (very close). Although being in the nursery has no bearing on whether she'll get into the school (or it shouldn't, though I've heard otherwise) I'm more relaxed about it now. I'm very glad that we'll be able to apply for DS as a sibling though because there were a lot of babies born at around the same time here. The clinics were significantly busier than when I went with DD and they said it had been a boom year.

First parents' evening next week! We went to an open evening last week where we got to see everything they'd been up to. I wasn't expecting them to have such a strict timetable! DD has started learning Welsh already. She's started singing songs in Welsh at home. In the future DD and DS will be able to chat together without us having a clue what they're on about, which I'm not sure I like the thought of!

Yes, we did get a letter re the vaccinations.

School nursery is so very different to private nursery. Timetables?! Learning Welsh?! Polly is mainly playing in the dirt. We have open evenings though you can always stop and look at what they are doing. On my working at home days I don't bother getting her there early and tend to spy at the 'artwork' on my way out. We have got a uniform now though! They've rolled out little polo shirts for the pre school room. They look really sweet:)

They also post photos on twitter so I get to see what she's up to that way too (not sure how I forgot that, I check it often enough!). Modern times!

Before she started I think I was imagining my school nursery where I played at the water table for much of the day (according to my memory!). I'm sure they learn through play and don't realise it's structured but it was weird to see the timetable all laid out. And the levels of punishment! Ha! They do P.E. once a week too. They have a mud kitchen and areas for digging but she comes home suspiciously clean at the moment.

Parents aren't even allowed in - we have to drop off outside the door (even when they get there in a state after having fallen in a muddy puddle on the way !).

Aww, they do look cute in uniform, don't they? Every single parent has opted for the uniform in DD's class so I'm glad we did!

Sunbeam I'm entirely unaware of any more jags at 3 years.

School uniforms and timetables worry me. I'd much rather she be wearing her mad.combination of clothes and playing with playdough for a few more years yet thank you very much

I think there are more jabs here too Sunny & Sunbeam. A friend whose son is c3 months older than our lot recently had his done. I think I read about it in the immunisation booklet that we got given for DD.

I was at a nursery meeting last night. It was all about preschool curriculum etc. It was all a bit surreal. But useful to know what they're doing and kind of reassuring to know that they don't just run around the garden all day and there is a bit of holistic learning going on too.
We don't need to contend with uniform until primary 1 so in just under 2yrs time.

The thread from the other week on how school has changed over the years due to SATS has me worried. I'm with you, Sunny.

I don't think we have SATS up here either- at least none of my nephews have mentioned it

Just had DS's summons for immunisations in the post this morning! 2wks time. On a nursery day at 2pm...am I a bad mummy if I take him back to nursery afterwards??!? I can't remember if he was wonky immediately after previous jabs or not

I'm moving then, the system sounds much better!

You wouldn't be a bad mummy at all, as with the 1 year jabs I'm not expecting there to be horrific side effects from the 3 year ones.

I'm worried about the men b one though as DD has nursery a few hours afterwards and she had a high temp for three days afterwards last time - and it started within a few hours of having it. But they seem strict on not having time off, even for illness, unless it's something like chickenpox. There was a list of illnesses that they're still supposed to go in with - tonsilitis, hand foot and mouth and others I can't remember (the list is not much use inside the classroom where we can't enter!). I'll have to ask their policy on medication next week as if they're not able to give calpol then there's no way she's going (she'll be due a dose while she's there).

There's not the same fever risk after the second dose as it's just a booster. There's an NHS link on that somewhere.

That nursery sounds way harsh. Mine come and go as they please and if we fancy doing something else they don't go. It's not compulsory. You can absolutely take them out. And frankly I would send someone home who came to work with illness so I'm not sure how a nursery can think the best place for a child with tonsillitis is at nursery and not at home?!

I thought so too as DS was fine after his second dose but as her reaction was so unusual first time around (based on their limited studies!) I'm not sure she'll totally escape a fever.

It is harsh. It didn't look like a list they'd created and I wish I'd noted the source - I googled expecting it to be an NHS document but can't find it (yet). Threads on here seem to be mixed on that, with some saying that if you choose to enrol them then they do have to attend (that seems to be their policy too. They've also said they won't authorise any term time holidays). I can sort of see their point after seeing how they work - they would miss a fair bit even just missing a couple of short days but they have weekly class awards for best attendance and I hate that. If they're ill they're ill (especially at that age)!

I can't find it anywhere but it sounds similar to what these parents received (the NHS does actually say no time off is required for tonsillitis, though surely they shouldn't be having to suffer in school, it seems cruel!).

schoolsimprovement.net/parents-tell-school-we-should-decide-if-sick-children-go-to-school/

Anyway, as they haven't given them out here and I only saw it because I was being nosy I'm going to use my own judgement (I will not be impressed if you call in sick for them and they look at the list and you get a lecture!).

They are only three or four. I have chosen to enrol them in nursery but I will chose whether or not they attend. Are you paying for this or is it just free hours? If you elected to pay for additional sessions and then didn't turn up then that's your choice, as long as you are paying.

I really wouldn't like mine going to that sort of environment. Especially not being allowed to see the classroom. What are they hiding?!?

No, just the free hours (we don't even get that, it's 2 1/2 hour sessions). You can't pay for additional sessions - they have to be transferred to the nearest private nursery for the rest of each day if you want childcare for a full day.

I don't think they're hiding anything as we can go in during the open evenings and they take lots of pictures; it's probably more that there isn't really enough room for a class of their children and their guardians (as demonstrated last week!). It's a strict start time so everyone would be there at once.

That's way too strict for me, Cup. Our preschool is fine if you take them out for other stuff (though I've heard that one of the local school ones isn't so relaxed about absences; ours is a private one). I wouldn't have them in somewhere like that.

We have planned the Men B boosters for a non-preschool day. I'll try to arrange the pre-school jabs similarly.

Goodness, that's very different from our school nursery, Cup. I asked about holidays etc and was reassured that nursery is not school and they can be off as much as we like (letting the nursery know, obv). It's very open and parents are in and out around the start and end time chatting and playing. Not sure about a rigid curriculum; all I know is that Keir goes through three tops per day playing with water and in the mud kitchen!

I don't see how a nursery can enforce attendance when its not compulsory?

And hand, foot and mouth is highly contagious, isn't it?

We had the men b booked for various Saturdays but things came up that we couldn't get out of and they're booked too far in advance now (it doesn't help that they have to book 30 minute slots in case of problems). With the 3 year jabs the GP surgery is only open on weekdays and DD goes to nursery every day so there isn't much choice.

She'll be going there full time from next year so we'd have to get used to it anyway. At least it won't be a shock. It is a lovely nursery and school, so worth it.

Yes, hand foot and mouth is contagious but having looked it up the NHS does seem to say that no time off is required!

I'm happy to defer getting used to school-type stuff til they're actually in school! 😀

Booking jabs is a right pain. Our surgery only has them on certain days and they seem to have stopped booking too far ahead either. They used to be far more helpful in general. Humpf!