October 08 - Ooh fancy that!

[CantSleepWontSleep]

We filled up a thread without even noticing!

Primary school outcome for dd today . They say that the emails will be sent out by 6pm (though may take longer to get through to us).

Oh just found this section of bbc site star, which I expect you'll find interesting. This page summarises where each party stands on education.

aubergenie - we have this slow cooker, which was recommended by Which? We are quite happy with it, except that it's a bit bigger than we really need, and more expensive than some others which don't have the hold function.

WWYD ladies.....

A 'friend' came round today pretty much unannounced and bought another friend with her. This is a side issue at this point but I was UNimpressed at first. I just received a message from her, only she hadn't called, I assume her DS (18 months) had accidentally called me. Well, I could hear her discussion with her mother in the background. She was comparing M with her DS. Her DS has clearly been 'taught' a number of words and phrases that she made him repeat over and over for us. His speech is clear but he doesn't have a real understanding outside of the limited words he's been taught. M's speech is not clear, but then that's perfectly normal at this age & she does have about 60 'words' that are clear to us. Anyway, I could hear her boasting about how her son is far more advanced than M and that M's speech is poor and you can't understand a word she's saying..... BITCH! Now, shall I send her a message suggesting that before she says derogatory things about my daughter she had better check her genius DS hasn't been playing with her phone or just leave it?

Oh I don't think that I'd be able to resist a message myself.

Hee hee CSWS! I KNEW you'd say that.

I'd message too, 50ft. What a total bitch.
write:
Hiya! Thanks for your visit today. Martha just said the cutest thing. She said, clear as day, "F* off (her name)". Isn't she clever?? xxx

SOrry meant to write M.
Should I have that deleted?

Don't worry about the name Star, I used to be called Marthasmama after all! That made me LAUGH!!!! Ah, I'm still chuckling at that.

I was going to ask you as a professional & general knowledgeable one re: child development. You are supposed to just let children learn words on their own right? I haven't 'taught' M anything, I've let her get on with it and pick words up from us, repeating them back if she says them directly to me. My 'friend' has clearly 'taught' her DS the words he knows as he only says them on cue. In addition, she corrects things when he's wrong and then keeps on at him to repeat it back until he gets it right. Just seeking reassurance that I'm not doing it wrong and have in some way cocked up M's development.

Clearly I have spent months teaching J to say "mine!" and "NO" which she finds very useful and encompass many of her daily needs. That and "choc-choc" which DS2 has taught her.....
Not sure that'll win her mensa awards!

Star. That made me chuckle. I'd have to say something too 50ft. Are you bothered about keeping her friendship?

Thanks for the slow cooker info. CSWS your one looks great, but I think 6.5l might be too big for us. One of the reviewers said she cooks two chickens in hers so it must be enormous. Thinking about it, I'd like to be able to put the dish in the oven as well, but I'm not sure if they exist. I'll do a bit more research.

oh and 50ft, why not say something along the lines of "oh, I had a strnge call the other day, must have been your DS, I could just about hear you in the background talking to (whoever)" leave it at that, smile sweetly, the torment of suspecting you;ve been heard bitching can be worse than knowing for sure.

we have the worlds most ginormous slow cooker, DH cooks vats of food and we freeze the extra.

Apparently Lembit Opik is on Have I Got News for You tonight - don't know if it's live, so after he lost his seat or not...

Pistachio - Phew. That's what I always do/did as I was sure I'd read that.... Oh in fact, I may have a Penelope Leach book...... What she does is, take an object and then repeat to him over and over what the name of the object is then gets him to repeat it back to her until it's 'correct'. She kept saying that she has spent time teaching him words etc.... I did discover that I think I need to take M to more groups. She doesn't seem to like other toddlers and certainly won't stand for them touching her. The other two toddlers here gave kisses and hugs, M walloped them if they went too close to her.

Coconutfeet (still getting used to that!) - I would feel bad if I was too harsh as it's the friend who went through a lot of crap with her ex. I mentioned her a while back and I do like her......

Star - Still chuckling.....

From what I have been taught, have researched and experienced (but being an actual parent throws a huge spanner in the works because I somehow never listen to that reason that I have in my head...ugh)... yes you are meant to let the child lead and repeat and pick up words in their environment on their own. One school of thought is that, at first, especially pre talking, you are meant to repeat sounds they say to you back to them as they say them so their "language" is validated and they know that you are listening to them and exchanging sounds/communicating. but as they are trying to actually label things and communicate (rather than just random babble) as pistachio says, once you can tell what it is, if they say "duggaday" you say "yes, that's a train"...etc. And of course point out and label objects in their environment. Specific teaching of words is pointless as they will learn to speak anyway. She's just going to frustrate him.... which could negatively impact him later on with learning experiences... much more risky imo to use flashcards and create "performing seals" as someone here said to me about my friend's dd who does this stuff.

pepper

csws - read it. Thanks. Lib Dem. all the way.

glad I could give a laugh, 50ft.
as for groups... I did notice a difference in Q's social skills at the playground and with us even since cm takes him to playgroup a couple times a week for an hour and a half. I don't fancy them much myself... too much comparing...etc. But glad to have cm take him

Sorry Pepper - I missed that.... THAT is good and evil, I like it. I could really do that and it wouldn't seem evil.

Watching Have I Got News For You.... Eeeeek! That bloke on Ian's team REALLY reminds me of my ex.

Blimey star - did you just read the education bit or all of the topics? It was the first time I'd seen it all summarised like this, and was absolutely at how little substance there was in the libdem 'policies'. The ones that made me chuckle the most were 'Allow parents to share maternity leave, and extend it to 18 months when resources allow' ie NEVER!
and 'Identify and cut £15bn per year of lower priority spending to protect front-line services while reducing structural deficit at least as fast as Labour plans, beginning in 2011' with no actual idea of how they will cut this £15bn!!

And even just on the education bit, he wants to scrap university tuition fees, but no mention of how he will pay for it, so presumably higher taxes for all.

I am genuinely interested in why people choose libdem, but don't want to discuss with the wider MN audience, so if anyone would like to have a civilised discussion about it and help me to understand then I'd be very grateful.

I read many of them.
I loved the tory policy about tax break and how £150 per year more would mean that more mothers could stay at home! Ok, will stop talking politics now before it gets too fired up in here.

Q said "no no mama" (a 2 word phrase, I was quite impressed despite lack of vocab and mostly uh uh and NO) in the car the other day. and "oops" regularly now. He has a weird moo sound for pretty much all animals but it sounds like a mix between moo, a bark and a car noise. And trees, cheese , birds and sometimes dog. Sometimes I swear i hear him say other words but I just can't be sure.