Helpful Tips for New Parents please!!!

[lonelymom]

[englishangel]

Re the eye testing thing.

My two were eleven when I realised that they should be having their eyes tested (I am very short-sighted, Dad has "eyes of an eagle") and they both had to have glasses.
Daughter was quite happy, son (who looks like a nerd) said "oh no, I look like a nerd". Daughter said "you look just like Harry Potter" (Bless her). I have always bought two pairs as at that age they lose/break/whatever them. When DD went to University I also got them insured.

9.30pm second week of term

DS I have broken my glasses.
Me: where are your spare pair and the insurance document?
DS: In the top drawer of my bedside cabinet.
Me: Take them to Boots tomorrow and get them fixed
DS: I mean my bedside cabinet at home.


Fortunately she had gone to Canterbury 1 hour and 40 away, not York, her first choice, but 3hr 30 away.

[ReallyMissingHer]

I just wanted to add the current school orthodontist is fabulous, we paid for a private appointment (having had 2 NHS ones & I other private one before she went to CH, the 2 NHS ones saying wait the private one gave us a quote for £6.5k) so she could been seen more quickly & so that I could definately attend. She now has an expansion brace that I've paid for (not available on the NHS) and he will do the rest of the work on the NHS. I'm always informed about appointments and he rang me after her brace had been fitted to tell me about it etc rather than trust my daughter to pass the info on!

Under the NHS her treatment would have been left until she was older and if she still had an underbite then a bit of jaw cutting and wiring would have been the solution..........

[blondie95]

I just wanted to add the current school orthodontist is fabulous, we paid for a private appointment (having had 2 NHS ones & I other private one before she went to CH, the 2 NHS ones saying wait the private one gave us a quote for £6.5k) so she could been seen more quickly & so that I could definately attend. She now has an expansion brace that I've paid for (not available on the NHS) and he will do the rest of the work on the NHS. I'm always informed about appointments and he rang me after her brace had been fitted to tell me about it etc rather than trust my daughter to pass the info on!

Under the NHS her treatment would have been left until she was older and if she still had an underbite then a bit of jaw cutting and wiring would have been the solution..........

I have an overbite as result og thumb sucking, i had an exspansion brace on the nhs after my train tracks at 16 and did nothing what so ever. I was told i could have my jaw broken etc but decided that my overbite is part of who i am and my look and as it causes me no problems its not worth going through the pain.

My orthodentist was Mr Deere and he was the MOST evil man i have ever come across

[ReallyMissingHer]

underbite unfortunately is more of a problem than overbite plus expansion is UNLIKELY to work at 16 it should be done as young as possible!!! Anyway I think it's really done on the NHS anymore, or possibly not all!!!

The orthodontist told me that expansion braces aren't everything that the results don't always work etc etc etc and then looked in her mouth and yes let's give expansion a go even if it is too late it would be a shame not to try and avoid the real potential surgery!

[J.R.]

In the pedigree cat-world, it was always known as 'Under-Shot' and 'Over-Shot'

Both considered serious faults when judging !

[Momto2]

My orthodentist was Mr Deere and he was the MOST evil man i have ever come across

Amy - I had a teacher called Mrs Deere and she was the MOST evil woman I have ever come across - perhaps they were related

[huggermugger]

Ahem! To steer away from the dental....

If you can, start collecting sports kit early if you see it at a reasonable price- plain white polo shirts; navy football/rugby socks (presume the girls also need these for hockey?) - I found a cheap source of these on the internet-; plain blue tracksuit bottoms (I am told that stripes down the side are frowned upon); white sports socks; navy rugby shorts (cotton); navy "shadow" shorts. I also buy these in larger sizes when I see them & stash them away.

I find I've had to duplicate a few things as he needs one at home & one at school eg: - toothbrush, dressing gown, slippers, flannels, pyjamas, duvet covers ( need to send two & I certainly didn't have two spare ones!), sheets (ditto & fitted are best because they have to put them on a mattress on a cabin-type bed), bath towels (the list says four but I've only ever sent 2).

They also need a shoe cleaning kit, nail brush & nail clippers so if you come across those cheap it's worth getting them. Or ask family members to get them...

Things on the list never bought/ or bought & never used:
anorak, umbrella, vests (someone tell me if any boy wears vests!), football/rugby studs (they all seem to use "blades"), book bag.

Somewhere it says you can do the sports list for £250. My Eye!!! I am a formidable bargain hunter & I spent over £330. Rugby shirts alone were nearly £100 plus £50 for the crested tracksuit (waste of money imho) & £11.50 for the crested polo shirt (Eleven pounds fifty!!!! Two recommended - only buy one if at all!) All of these can only be bought from Broadbridges in Horsham.

And to come neatly back to the dental - dentist-fitted mouthguard - £30 plus.

[lonelymom]

Do the boys have to have more than one rugby shirt then? My daughter only has one hockey shirt, I thought it would be the same for the boys. Someone else said that they thought the school (crested) tracksuit was a waste of money, but I must say that, whilst I agree it is very expensive, my daughter has worn it lots! And I find it washes very well, dries very quickly, and best of all, doesn't need ironing!!

Also, I think the school dentist charges £20 for a mouthguard, but if your child has braces then remember it won't be worth paying for one of those. You can get some very good ones from sports shops that cost about £10, which you put in boiling water then mould around your teeth, with the added benefit that they can be re-moulded as necessary when the brace starts working!

I'll echo huggermuggers comment about asking family member to get bits and pieces. When they say 'is there anything I can get him/her?' have the list and a pencil ready to tick their contribution.

[Eruresto]

Crested polo shirts are not, I repeat NOT, needed! Not unless your DD/DS is involved in squad sport - otherwise, for non-squad, plain is fine!

[lonelymom]

On the clothing list though it says that they need one crested, and the others can be plain. They won't know whether they're going to be in the squad until they get there, by then it will be too late to go and buy one.

[Mrs C.]

mouldable mouthguards can be bought (and frequently are!) in tuckshop for £1.20!

Don`t forget the Thrift Shop for sports kit if you`re on a limited budget

[lonelymom]

mouldable mouthguards can be bought (and frequently are!) in tuckshop for £1.20!

Yes, we had one of those too. It was actually very good, and if your child hasn't got a brace it will be fine. It just wasn't very re-mouldable when her teeth started moving. Well worth £1.20 though.

[eagerdad]

And to come neatly back to the dental - dentist-fitted mouthguard - £30 plus.

Was that the school Dentist? Our denstist charges £50plus standard and £65 plus if child has a brace.

[Eruresto]

On the clothing list though it says that they need one crested, and the others can be plain. They won't know whether they're going to be in the squad until they get there, by then it will be too late to go and buy one.

Fair enough - though I've never been persecuted for not having one - and I don't know of anyone who has either...