[SA Chris]

We've got a city jogger too. It's great, but not brilliant offroad, if that ever becomes an issue. We started off with a bigger heavier thing with inflatable tyres and a bit of suspension, which was great to start off, as we couldn't use a baby carrier initially and any decent length walking near our house involves jeep tracks and dirt roads.

We have some adaptors for mounting a maxi cosi car seat on the baby jogger you can have for a few quid if you go down that route.

And CONGRATULATIONS!

[tomtom]

And CONGRATULATIONS!

Absolutely!
Great news Tzone

4T? (TinyTommyTwoTone?)

[Snoops]

Course, if your willing to cough up a few more fuck alls, this is the shit:

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Another big +1 for getting an Techno XT. Lots of our mates got big wheeled three wheelers and soon got sick of the size and weight. Although someones says the XT isn't great offroad you 'd be surprised what we have done with ours. The thing is even a large wheeled buggy doesn't go over brick sized blocks without thowing the baby about loads so you end up being limited to gravelly fire roads etc which the XT copes fine with (8 wheels, independent suspension  ), and if there is a rough bit its light enough to pick up with the small one in.

Techno XT, then use a carrier (BabyBjorn or similar) for rougher walks, up to the crag etc, and Maxi-Cosi car seats.

Regarding carriers, both ours were Autumn/Winter babies so we wanted to take them out to the peak during the winter, to start with the winning piece of kit for us was a sling carrier that looked exactly like a rope bag! They loved it, very cosy and guarenteed to nod off in it, then moved onto a BabyBjorn when they were bigger.

Sling was similar to this...

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Galpinos is right about the whole transfer thing, they shouldn't be in a car seat for hours anyway, better to let them wriggle about in a buggy. Also being able to fold it one handed and lift it one handed is key.

One more thing, for many things I'd agree about getting second hand, except McClaren buggys get used so much they tend to get tatty but the time they are sold/passed on! Ours is still going strong except the rubber grips have worn through twice due to 6 years of near everyday use! They are a bargain to start with so get one new. Oh yeah and get the 'Cosy Toes' accessory.

[SA Chris]

Hin out where and when your local NCT has second hand sales. Loads of shit to be had for nearly no fuck alls.

[duncan]

We have a Bugaboo bee which has lasted well and seems perfectly fine but I have nothing to compare it with. I guess they are the like Audi Q5s: a bit over-engineered for most needs. They are similarly popular in north London, I believe you are turned away from Hampstead Heath if you don't have one.  Since offspring can now ride a bike ours is definitely surplus to requirements. We'd sell it for much less than the price quoted above and I have PMed you.

Baby Bjorn thing very good, albeit very expensive for a bit of cloth and padding.

[lagerstarfish]

we had a variety of used baby transporters given to us - we ended up spending money on a used McClaren Techno and ditched everything else


We've got a wooden Mothercare drop side cot going free if you want it TTT

[Jaspersharpe]

Kiddicare website usually has some good deals on buggies etc. I got a "travel system" that was supposed to be about £500 or something (7 years ago) for less than £200 as it was last year's model (i.e. a different colour). Worth a look.

[slackline]

/via tommytwotone on Twatter

[Jaspersharpe]

Ha ha! Spot on.

[fatneck]

Brilliant!!!

[SA Chris]

Totally on the mark.

[tommytwotone]

Totally on the mark.

Made me laugh, lots of my mates have gone down that route. I'm using it as kind of a reference point of "the things we will absolutely not be doing"!

[Muenchener]

Not sure if this belongs here or in snooooooooooooowboarding, but I think more here:

Was out on the hill with M jnr this weekend, and he insisted on spending a morning in the fun park. This is an area completely outside my range of snowboarding experience, so my l33t coaching sk1llz were limited to "erm, maybe try some of the smaller things first".

Which advice was taken, and followed by half a dozen successful runs over and off a small tabletop, all landed well. The last run of the day, however, resulted in a vertical 180, nose landing and tears.

Not a big deal in an of itself, but it got my thinking about how permanently terrified I will be if he ever gets into flying around in the air upside down on a regular basis. And that, in turn, about how permanently terrified my mum must have been when I took up climbing.

Dadvice? Dunno. How does one go about managing the permanent terror resulting from one's child taking up risky pursuits, especially when one's own track record in such matters is far from clean?

[mindfull]

Not easy! Not a dad but working with youth. These boys/Girls want to take risks. And just like with climbing you have to asses these risks, and learn them how to do.
If it is unacceptable for you, it is for them, except if your name is Alex Honnold, and you have an alternative view on these things. 

[Oldmanmatt]

I ponder this daily. My little darlings are constantly trying to give me a heart attack.
But I was such a dick (until fairly recently, or the birth of my first to be precise); taking ludicrous risks. It took a dive boat fire 25 miles off shore as my final near death experience, a few weeks before she was born; to wake me up.
And I can't reconcile that history and the fantastic life it allowed me, with my absolutely mortifying fear of something happening to them.

So I take them climbing.

Go figure.

[Muenchener]

Dear UKB: what the f+ck do you do when your kid starts complaining about bullied at school?  M jnr is ten, in his first year at middle school and the youngest in his class. The first term or so went well academically, but suddenly he's reluctant to go in the morning and says other boys are taunting and hitting him.

As a parent, obviously it hurts when the child is clearly unhappy. But you only have the word of a ten year old as to what exactly is really going on. Is it just normal push & shove between boys and he's being too much of a sensitive flower, or is it seriously nasty? How do you encourage him to stand  up for himself, without giving him the idea that escalating violence is likely to be the answer? Etc.

We're going in to talk to the teacher tomorrow, obviously, but what else?

Smacking the (alleged) bullies oneself is clearly not an option however tempting it might be. Hunting down their dads and smacking them would also be undignified and likely to land oneself in deep trouble.

I'm thinking some kind of martial arts classes as a long term approach to physical and moral self-confidence. We're also considering moving him next year to another school nearer home where there are more of his old friends from primary school. But first we have to get through the rest of this school year.

Help?

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Roll play is your answer...


and if that doesn't work...


But joking aside, it is all about confidence, they'll only pick on the ones who fear them. A few good retorts can be pretty useful. They'll soon move on to someone else.

[SA Chris]

No idea how it's viewed in Germany, but in UK schools I believe it's taken very seriously.

Feel for you and your lad, it's a real dilemma what to do. It's a concern we are having with our son as to what to do, as he's going to be one of the youngest in his year.

[Oldmanmatt]

Marshal arts training works well.

My Eldest (step) Son is very short, 7 and mild mannered. He's only slightly taller than No.2 son who's only 5.

He's also one belt short of Black (jnr) in Muay Thai.

(Not actually my decision. His Mum was determined that he should be able to protect himself and more importantly control his anger. This is because his Father was murdered in a random street attack, which he does not yet understand and she fears how he may react when he does.
I don't share her fear, because he's too bright and well adjusted. )

He was recently told by school mates he was too small to play Footy with them.
I understand there was a discussion and the issue was resolved.
He is now playing up front every day.
The principle antagonist is now a good friend.
And his teacher sn**gered as he told us.

For myself. I gained glasses and the mother of all braces (headgear and all) during the summer holiday prior to beginning Secondary school.

This proved troublesome.

I was rather wimpy but already climbing obsessively. I took up Judo too.

During my second year, I lost it with my usual persecutor and simply turned around and beat the shit out of him. In that moment I found my confidence.

It sounds brutish and stupid, but I changed.

Stood up.

I learned to fight and more importantly how to prevent it reaching that stage.

Apart from my Military time, I have had very little call to use any of the skills I have learnt.
Being able to convey the impression that you can and will defend yourself; is usually sufficient to deter a bully.

[Muenchener]

Thanks guys. We had a meeting with his teacher today, and she certainly sounded like she was going to take the matter seriously.

And the search for a martial arts school begins ...

[fatdoc]

Regarding risk to our little darlings who try to fly on boards, bikes etc....

Its not a matter if they need medical attention, but when. most pro coaches are clear on this.

As long as the child has capacity to appreciate what the worst outcome is ( I'm not talking legal capacity, but parenteral appreciatation / guidance) and they have to your mind the training and ability....... Well, it's bit like what we do as adults in my mind.

Example: my middle lad aged 11 got dispensation to be allowed to uplift the DH course at Cwmcarn from the operator. He had all gear, loved it and will be a day he will never forget. Binned it a few times, but all was good.

3 weeks ago, we were training at a minor bMX track, he was well up for railing a berm with enough speed to trick the next jump set.... Went faster, went faster... Rear tyre clearly drifting out

I say " go any faster and your fucked"

Not "don't try it any more...."

He learnt to trick the jump set without the speed.. Better than me

Parenthood. Bonkers. Love it!

[Oldmanmatt]

Regarding risk to our little darlings who try to fly on boards, bikes etc....

Its not a matter if they need medical attention, but when. most pro coaches are clear on this.

As long as the child has capacity to appreciate what the worst outcome is ( I'm not talking legal capacity, but parenteral appreciatation / guidance) and they have to your mind the training and ability....... Well, it's bit like what we do as adults in my mind.

Example: my middle lad aged 11 got dispensation to be allowed to uplift the DH course at Cwmcarn from the operator. He had all gear, loved it and will be a day he will never forget. Binned it a few times, but all was good.

3 weeks ago, we were training at a minor bMX track, he was well up for railing a berm with enough speed to trick the next jump set.... Went faster, went faster... Rear tyre clearly drifting out

I say " go any faster and your fucked"

Not "don't try it any more...."

He learnt to trick the jump set without the speed.. Better than me

Parenthood. Bonkers. Love it!

Not sure what language the last bit was...?

"Railing a Berm" sounds like something you'd have to travel to Thailand for.

But I think I agree.

[Jaspersharpe]

I never have any idea what language fatdoc is posting in.