I just weened my son about 3 weeks ago and he's just a few months of two years old. Although I had refused to feed him at night for the last six months (only his dad would go in to his room in the middle of the night so he gave up after a week or two), but he was still feeding about 4 times a day before that. I just slowly reduced the amount of feeds per day by distracting him when he was tugging at my shirt and saying he was a big boy now and didn't need it, it was for babies. I would hold him close to my chest and feed him a bottle (which had only been introduced recently) when I wanted to feed him not when he tugged my shirt for a breastfeed. So he still felt close to me but was also getting milk from somewhere else. Then we were only on the morning feed and that lasted another few weeks. The last step was then changing our routine from getting him in the morning when he woke up and putting him in my bed for the morning feed, to getting him from his cot and going straight to the kitchen and starting his breakfast. Now only 3 weeks later he proundly sees a baby breastfeeding and says 'baby'. He's all proud he's bigger than them and not a baby anymore because he doesn't breastfeed any longer. It wasn't all smooth sailing but once you've made the decision to stop, then just stick to your guns no matter how much he protests. You have to stop at one point in his life don't you, so it can be now or when he's six!!!

Hi, I started my son at about 13 months. He's 20 months now and I hadn't really tested him up to this point. He did however read my husbands t-shirt the other day that had the word 'star' on it (and not a matching picture), with his speach developing he's also said the numbers 4 and 5 when he's seen them and often phonetically pronouces letters when we do an alphabet puzzle. I also offer two or three choices of letters or words on his chalk board and ask him which one is the the word dog or bus etc. So he points at it and says the word if he can. I think it would be of benefit to your child if he or she was four years old. I don't think its ever too late. Even when they start school they expect the kids to not know how to read at all so anytime up to that point is still giving them a head start.

I'm afraid it isn't that simple. My tv is a Rank Arena from 1971 that was my husbands grandfathers and he will not even look at a new tv until it is completely busted, (centimental I guess). Meanwhile we have one VHS video player that is hooked up to it so we can have Foxtel (cable tv) and a remote control as the tv only has dials and then our own dvd player hooked up to that. It is a fairly new Panasonic that is multi-zoned, however after taking it back to the shops several times because it wouldn't play our USA dvds it was discovered it wont play them because the machine thinks we are trying to pirate the dvd's onto a VHS tape through the other machine, so it's a security measure. It will play Aust dvd's fine but not any other zone.

Hi fellow Aussies,

I'm trying to find other Zone 4 DVD's for my son to watch along the same lines as YBCR. I have a bunch of DVD's that are Zone 1 (USA) and I can play them on my laptop, but sometimes I'd like to sit my son in front of the tv for a minute and work on the laptop. Can you help me with DVD's you can actually buy here without me sending away to the USA for them. What Austraila bought dvd's are you guys using? Ta

Thanks for the heads up. We're only just beginning with the Leap Frog series and just from the Letter Factory my son practises c-c-cold and s-s-snake etc around the house as he's playing. I've been really impressed with these old dvd's so far. But it's good to know they've lost it so I can look out for the ones with these changes. They sound really disappointing from what you've written.

I've discovered lately that I'm having real trouble fitting in to a mothers group. Has anyone else had that problem?

The one I started with when my son was 3 weeks old has over time unfolded into a handful of women mostly working part-time and not interested in early education, including sign language. They are also quite harsh with their kids and pro smacking. Another group I tried (which was a structured playgroup) are mostly 3rd or 4th time mums and have little enthusiasm for anything except complaining with each other about the schools their older children are in, so their little ones don't get much stimulation at all. I was infact told they were not interested in structured playtime as they have all been there done that.

I have also recently tried another group that call themselves natural parenting, so very against smacking as am I, and into organic foods, as I am and breastfeeding over 12 mths, as am I. But they are also into co-sleeping which I'm not, homebirthing, which I'm not against but not into myself, and they are not into discipline at all of any sort, so the kids run a muck, also not my cup of tea. I usually find my place in the world but I seem to have embraced alot of components of parenting styles and not one or another fully. Is this common to develop unique preferences as a mum, and where do I fit in now?

Anybody have suggested websites where these clear images can be downloaded? I've had a bit of a hunt around google but I don't think I've got the right search terms as I'm not having much luck.

The Wiggles and Hi5 are both purely entertainment. The Wiggles do attempt to have good messages such as singing a song called "Fruit Salad, yummy yummy" etc but I've yet to see anything but hyperactivity from Hi5. Lots of merchandising goes with these too so kids learn pester power pretty quickly with these ones. Since you are on this forum in the first place these DVD don't really align themselves with what we're all about, early education.

A little trick that a childrens nurse suggested to me when my son was clingy, was to sit with him on the floor and play a game but sit behind him. Although the baby can feel your chest on their back and see your legs each side of theirs they are not looking directly at you. After playing with them a few times like this, sit in the same position but leave your hands by your side and talk less. I found my son would at first keep looking around to see I was still there, then a few days later just a little hand would come around to touch me periodically and check. Then slowly put yourself back so there are a few inches between you and less talking to them. Slowly slowly you'll be able to sit on a chair in the same room and do something else without panic setting in. After a few weeks I was even able to leave the room while continuing to talk to him so he knew I wasn't far away and then return. He was still playing the same game and just looked around to reasure himself that I was back then would go on playing as if it wasn't a big deal.

This time can be really tough, but having something to work on rather than just resenting this unwavering obsessive attachment can really help. Moving them around with you from room to room when you need to do a chore is also helpful I found. I would pick up my son and move the toys he was playing with to the bedroom where I would fold the washing (or whatever) and he would sit next to me playing. Apparently you just have to build their confidence that you are going to be there for them and then they will be able to seperate themselves when they're ready.

Ok darling take a deep breath and relax. Although I'm not sure what vaxing is I'm right there with you on the rest of it. So lets start with breastfeeding. I'm still breastfeeding my boy who's now 15 months. We had a good birth so I was able to start within 20 minutes of us meeting. Things did not go swimmingly, with mastitis, cracked nipples, over supply, engorged to name a few, but I too was determined to do it. I think the key is to be determined but not paranoyed. Work through problems as they arrise (which they will), and tackle the one that it there at the time. In Australia there is a breastfeeding associating that when you join give you a reference book. When I got mastitis early on I was able to flick through the book to the chapter on my symptoms and work through it. I went into hospital when my son was 6 months and almost everyone around me said "well you've done six months that's a great start for him", as if that was the time to give up. Fat chance. I asked the nurse for a breast pump and for two days kept pumping (and throwing it out because of the drugs in my system), and my son went on formula for four days. Honestly, just take it one day at a time and a bottle now and then wont kill them if something comes up.  You cannot prepare for breastfeeding, so tackle this one once your bubba arrives.

Next it the Brewer diet. 100 grams of protein isn't that hard to do. My dietician (as I'm overweight) recommends meat once a day the size of the palm of my hand, that's about 125 gms. I would recommend thinking of your body right now as what nature intended. Pregnancy itself it a very primal function, just think our body grows an entire human being without any real conscious effort from us. So my advise with food would be to follow a diet as naturally as possible. Meat, eggs, nuts etc all contain protein and have done since the begining of time. Protein shakes with over pasturised, homogonised, processed milk wasn't. I too craved milk when pregnant but think about it in terms of what is your body telling you. For instance I also craved salty food. Well meaners said go and have McDonalds chips they are really high in salt. I thought yes, but, it's sodium my body wants not McDonalds, that's just marketing. So I had capers and foods that were naturally salty.

Herbs, maybe see a herboligist but I only drank raspberry tea in the third trimester. My understanding is that is a muscle stimulant that is great for the uterus. It can help get this muscle ready for the birthing process, not something you want to do early on.

Having a VBAC can be really helped by doing hypnobirthing (calmbirthing in Australia). I did it for my first baby simply because I wanted a natural birth and knew if I worked myself into a state I could really make things go wrong. It's basically about staying focussed, breathing through contractions and self talking. If you keep telling yourself it could go wrong and have a ceaser you just might, but if you self talk is positive and focussed on your goals you are more likely to succeed. I highly recommend this technique. My son was posterier and didn't turn. He was born naturally with only a little gas in a bath. Using this technique I reduced the birth from a predicted 24+ hours to only 10 and a predicted ceaser to vaginally.
Hope some of this helps.

I would really first like to know why a child would not like piano. How would you even know? They always like to push any kind of button that makes noise dont they?
I certainly would not want my child to be turned away from music.
HH I have read your other thread but How do you know if your child likes or dislikes an instrument? and how can you know if a certain lesson or even a teacher is turning hom away from music?

Just in response to this point. I was MADE to do piano as a child simply because I was good at it "and what a waste it would be to stop now" (said my parents). I learnt piano until about half way through high school. I attempted to take up other instruments to divert my mother from insisting on the piano. So by the end of highschool I was also able to play saxaphone, clarinet, flute and bass clarinet (which is the one I loved). The way to tell if a child isn't enjoying an instrument is to look for how much they are avoiding practising. I would make up heaps of excuses as a child, get dressed as slowly as possible, stretch out my dinner until it was cold mush, have fake sore fingers. The list goes on and on. Teachers weren't the problem they were often really nice I just didn't like piano very much, or at least 99% of the music I was MADE to play. I also did ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics, singing and drama over a ten year period. All in an attempt to get my mother to realise I hated the piano and would rather do ANYTHING else.

The point is kids don't say things directly, probably for fear of disappointing their parent who so loves you to play the instrument to them so much. Look out for the dragging of the feet to play the piano, or the growned "ohhh do I have to?", and simply the avoidance to practise. Just like LR it should either be a fun bonding thing or its time to stop. I have no memory of my mother ever actually sitting down next to me and playing together or laughing/giggling about something I played. It was never set up as fun in the begining so it just never was. NEVER!!! Maybe piano is the best instrument to start with, I don't know, but please oh please play it with your child and have fun with it, or they might hate it forever.

Jillpea is my nickname as a child. My dad often called me Jillpea as my full name is Jillian. My two best friends still often call me by this name (especially in writing). I just always liked it.

I'm sorry if this is answered somewhere else but I've been looking for two hours and can't find it. What I would like to know is with the free 6 months upgrade, what happens after that? Is the content/lessons that were viewed still on my computer or is it gone after the 6 months? Can I use the 6 months program in a few years with my next child if I just click on the lessons again? Can you please link another post if this is already answered, as I'm too nervous to upgrade incase I love it and can only use it for six months.

I started taking my son to swimming only 4 weeks ago. I phoned several pools during summer but we had to go on waiting lists. I checked them out by just going with my son for a paddle and getting price lists. The indoor one I really wanted (also the cheapest) finally had a vacancy, so we started then.

His class is brilliant, it's half an hour and all to nursery rhymes (this is the way we splash our hands, humpty dumpty sat on the pool wall, I'm a little tea pot (although we sing pancake) on my back I'm a little pancake swimming flat. etc). Somehow we incorporate heaps of pool safety into the rhymes. What's the time Mr Wolf, we count with the little ones holding onto the pools edge by themselves. Eensey Weensey Spider the toddlers hands crawl along the side and as the song sings up the water spout, we show them how to put one leg up and pull themselves out of the pool.

I think around this age the most important thing is water safety rather than being able to swim. My classes say that within 6-8 months, if your toddler fell into a pool or other body of water they should be able to get to the side and depending on the pool get themselves out. I think that is marvellous, buying yourself precious time to react and the baby possibly saving themselves if an accident was to happen is paramount.

Hi mbrown,

I too am an Aussie, from Sydney. If you go up the top of these pages to the International board, you can click on the Australian link and see just how many of us are already here. Have fun.
Jillpea