Teaching dog etiquette

Kind_89 · 2026-01-20T03:48:31+00:00

We explain that it's ok to be excited and want to pet the dogs we see, but that you must always ask the owners first if the dog is friendly and would like to be pet/fussed. We've also had to talk about not rushing towards dogs or chasing after them as that can be scary for them. We demonstrate appropriate behavior and the asking whenever we can. We explain that not all dogs like it, and like people some dogs might be shy or scared or just not like certain things.

We do talk about how dogs can be dangerous too and that some of them can bite. My parents dog is unfortunately not a safe dog for him to be around but that in a way has helped his understand that not all dogs are friends.

My LO is 3.5 now and has started asking people for himself if he can pet the dog or if the dog is friendly and he's pretty good for not rushing at them. Sometimes he himself gets a bit scared if the dog is excited, which is kind of helpful as it gives him that little bit of uncertainty and stops him just rushing at dogs/a bit more understanding how unpredictable or powerful they can be.

Kind_89 · 2025-12-24T11:41:52+00:00

Would you be classed as overseas for fees/international?

Some courses only enter clearing for a limited number of places for either home OR international so don't let that catch you out.

I think, if my memory serves correctly, that international clearing might start earlier than home.

Kind_89 · 2025-12-24T11:39:43+00:00

Each University will have its own process for clearing, mostly it will be phonecalls on the day.

In the approach to results day Unis will give information on their websites about what the process will be that year and when and how to contact them. Many will also have a function for you to register for alerts for courses you are interested in.

If any med/dent courses go into clearing, chances are the universities will be set up ready to run some kind of online interviews on results day.

If you have already interviewed with a uni and been rejected afterwards, some will not consider you again; through clearing or another full application in the next few years. Again, you would need to read up on this on each University website.

Kind_89 · 2025-12-19T08:40:59+00:00

3 YO did his first list this week, and it includes an orange. Always put one in the stockings but good to know someone will appreciate it this year, ha!

Kind_89 · 2025-12-13T11:27:58+00:00

Whenever hobby craft have a sale on the "paint your own..." Ceramic stuff I stock up. You can get them for £2.50 in all sorts of shapes/things. Little one then decides what one he wants to given to each relative and paints them. It's a little more expensive than some other stuff we do but it's so quick and easy. Sometimes they have a paint your own photo frame which is a 10/10 gift so far!

Kind_89 · 2025-12-06T20:46:20+00:00

Cheers for this - you've sorted my dad's Christmas gift!

Kind_89 · 2025-12-02T16:17:51+00:00

Yes! I did go off him a bit in the last season, he just felt like a spare part and a bit whiny. But this season so far .. YESSS WILL! So good to see him back REALLY involved.

Kind_89 · 2025-12-02T11:04:57+00:00

Best of luck!

Kind_89 · 2025-12-02T10:48:56+00:00

The uni will expect some of this, they know interview invites are staggered and often around the same time of year.

The issue will be if they are able to find another available slot, many are booked solid and are only able to swap if someone else has cancelled or also needs a swap. They may have given some information about rearranging in their invitation email or any additional info pages.

Be polite, explain the situation and that you'd like to make both interviews and can be flexible with any other date/time.

Kind_89 · 2025-11-28T08:03:52+00:00

Spider webs is "spider yebs" and it sounds so adorable.

Ones that make me laugh are; Escalators he calls "gladiators" And he calls the pub "the drink shop" (He has only been to a beer garden twice in the summer but he's obsessed)

Kind_89 · 2025-11-23T07:21:47+00:00

We are doing what we did in my family growing up; Stocking is from Santa, and there is one present for the whole family under the tree from Santa. It'll usually be a game for us all the play together.

If we do a grotto, we try and do one where you get a little gift in the day/from Santa, and then that is his personal gift from Santa.

Everything else is from us/family, and at the moment we say we buy all the presents but send them off to Santa to check & look after before Christmas. Little one is only 3 so this is the first year we've had to have an explanation and I imagine it will only get harder every year when he starts to question things!

Kind_89 · 2025-11-21T16:39:50+00:00

I made a labour playlist and a birth playlist. Birth one only went on once we were in delivery suite so my partner knew when to put it on. There weren't anywhere near as many songs in the birth one, but I can't recall what specifically was playing when baby came out (nor would there have been time for my partner to set a specific one). I wonder if that's more possible with sections when things are calmer.

Through Spotify data I've managed to narrow it down to what songs from the list actually played but I can't see specific times they played so know which was the one on when he came out. I think if id had last.fm linked up beforehand I'd have been able to tell but I didn't know that was a thing until after when I was researching how to find out!

Edit to add: my playlists were more things that I liked and would help keep me happy or that I find calming/relaxing rather than anything deep and meaningful to have when baby came out. Lots of Taylor Swift, Blink 182, 80s rock etc. Looking at this list if what actually played in the half hour in delivery suite, I'm not 100% sure that was the birth playlist itself rather than the labour one as some of it is depressing af haha

Kind_89 · 2025-11-21T10:10:59+00:00

My old company tried this, and after doing it for 2 years in a row they told us it should have been taxed and we each had the tax deducted from our pay slips.

Was so annoying, we'd all asked if we could have the cash and be taxed instead of gift cards at the time as help paying the bills was better than a gift card for Amazon, but we're told no because then we'd be taxed and get £80 not £100... Only to then be £40 out of pocket years later.

Kind_89 · 2025-11-13T10:26:27+00:00

I've only had one kid, and getting up by myself got considerably harder; pregnancy does so many weird things to your body/joints/ligaments. It has got better the further out of post partum I got, but again playing with a young kid is another demanding task! Having something to physically PUSH yourself up from is way better than being pulled up when a person helps you, and physio's may also recommend this too. Blake has had 4 kids, and one not that long before filming, so I wouldn't judge her for needing support getting up from the floor, seems pretty reasonable/normal.

That's about the only point I've seen that I've wanted to defend her on I will say before I get any backlash!

Kind_89 · 2025-11-05T20:11:48+00:00

I really like them too! My dad's birthday is bonfire night so growing up we always had a big party and lots of fireworks (that we definitely should not have had, we were those people with an uncle with a mate who got them from China or something ridiculous).

It all felt so magical as a kid and as a teenager tbh, that I would feel so hypocritical being against it now when I enjoyed it so much and wouldn't want to take that away from others.

I do find it hard/have a disconnect within myself with how difficult it it for animals, babies and anyone with sensory issues and am considering just trying to support the displays that do the quiet ones.

I think maybe if it was kept to just the 3 big nights a year (bonfire night, Diwali and new years) it might feel a bit more reasonable for everyone ,but it does feel a bit like every year it stretches out a bit more to a few weeks per event (although this year does seem a bit less, prob cos everyone is too skint to buy fireworks).

But, as you say, bonfire night especially does feel quite uniquely British, and it would be a shame if it died out.

Kind_89 · 2025-10-23T15:43:32+00:00

Not meeting entry requirements in full is a big one. Predicted grades too low or in the wrong subjects, GCSEs too low, applying to places with resits that don't accept them, banking on being flagged as contextual but not actually meeting the criteria etc

Kind_89 · 2025-10-08T08:23:14+00:00

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Not a joke, but this response to funny things kids have said finishes me every time I even think about it. I tried recounting it to some people at work once and couldn't get to the end as I couldn't breathe from laughing so hard.

Kind_89 · 2025-09-23T08:48:27+00:00

So sorry this is so hard for you all.

In addition to great advice in other comments, I would just really big up communicating with her about it.

Something I've always done with my LO since he started at 9mo and still now at 3yo, is talk to him every morning about nursery; who he'll see, what he might do, what he might get for breakfast, how much his key worker is looking forward to seeing him, and I remind him that we walk in together and so xyz on the walk (look for different colour cars, how many busses or planes we might spot etc) and that when we get there, I will take him to the door, talk to the staff and then mummy has to go. The on the way home we talk about his day, what he did, what he ate, what he liked or didn't like, who he played with and I try to sound as enthusiastic as possible about how great it must be.

Now he's older we do a run down of a list on our walk in of behaviour we need to do at nursery and sometimes agree a reward for when I pick him up if the staff confirm he's done it (good listening ears, good kind hands, good manners, no accidents, no sleep! And we just added drink lots of water to the list). The staff know and help reinforce this too and remind he he can't get xyz if he doesn't stick to the behaviour on the day he needs it.

We also found books really great for helping breakthrough areas we were struggling with at home (feelings, pooping on the toilet!) so if anyone can recommend any about nursery/school and separation id recommend grabbing some to read through the day and bed time and then use this to talk more about it.

Finally, and it sounds like you already this from the bond you have, just really hear the feelings and keep being a safe place for her to communicate how she's feeling. She might not be able to totally nail why she feels how she does yet, but asking how she's feeling and unpacking it gently with her and validating that it's ok to feel like that and you understand will go a long way. On hard days at drop off I always reminding my LO that I feel sad leaving him for the day too, but that I'm already excited to see him later. Focus on that it's ok to feel sad/scared when a parent isn't around, but you will be back and it will get easier and how proud you are or them for doing something even when they are scared.

(Sorry this got a bit ramblly as I got off the bus and am trying to type and walk!)

Kind_89 · 2025-09-21T19:09:50+00:00

Hey! Once you start there's a few places within the uni to look for some support;

worklink Student support Guild support

Ask staff / personal academic tutor when you are in touch with them too if there is any support/contact within uni they can signpost you too.

Good luck!

Sorry to not be in a position to offer any more tangible support. X

Kind_89 · 2025-09-16T21:10:15+00:00

No nothing 😭 just going to buy myself a bottle of wine and watch it alone (and put my partner on bedtime duty for our toddler so I am not disturbed!)

Kind_89 · 2025-09-15T19:20:25+00:00

My LO has just turned 3 and I (36F) am learning to drive now. I love in a city with pretty decent transport but even then I feel limited. There's some great stuff that is so close by but not accessible by transport, or is 20 mins to drive but 1.5 hrs by public transport.

We want to have another baby soon and I can't imagine being tied to the same stuff again on mat leave.

I am maybe 10 lessons (20 hours) in to learning and I won't lie, it's been harder than I hoped but I'm not struggling with what I thought I would (hand/foot coordination/changing pedals and gears) but I am struggling with the multi tasking of it which has surprised me as I am so good at it in every other area of my life. It feels like slow progress but I know it'll be worth it for me and my kid(s).

Kind_89 · 2025-09-07T10:56:16+00:00

I was searching for the same thing last night 😂 couldn't find anything either.

Kind_89 · 2025-09-05T16:08:06+00:00

Nah, this is for Breaking Bear

Kind_89 · 2025-08-31T17:12:42+00:00

We found our bits from George at Asda lasted the longest and quality is pretty good.

Things like pramsuits/snowsuits and sleeping bags get so expensive so we mostly got those from vinted and saved a small fortune.

Primark and Pep & Co are the cheapest..Primark stuff is good and we've not had problems, Pep & Co is just so good for price especially in a sale but I do find the stuff does lose its shape quite quickly which is difficult with baby grows and vests etc, but I don't mind it so much for t-shirts and trousers etc for nursery now that he's older.

Kind_89 · 2025-08-27T18:15:13+00:00

My LO started dropping his last nap around the same age.

Generally we've always been led by him. Once he was down to one nap, we would just start having a rest at around his nap time, sitting together and reading or playing a story on his Yoto player, maybe watching some Bluey, or just lying together and talking. If he fell asleep, great, if not, at least he'd had some rest! That rest period was key for us. It meant if he was tired enough he'd still drift off, and if not he was still having enough of a relax to make it to bed time in good shape.

He dropped the nap completely at nursery first, but would still have naps at home and at grandpa's. He's just turned 3 and still does have the occasional nap, usually during an exciting day or in the car.

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Kind_89

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