srisky

Eventual success here, too, but it was our fault it took so long. We started using it shortly after baby #2 was born but #1 would wail so loudly until the sun came up that hubby would rush in & get her out of bed before she woke the baby, so she knew by doing this she could 'over-rule'the clock. As with everything, consistency was the key, so after a few mornings of letting her wail until the sun came up followed by loads of praise she now happily stays in bed until the sun. We've also told her if she needs a wee to call us and afterwards she will go back to bed to wait for the sun. We have gradually delayed sunrise from 6.45 to now 7.15. We didn't find the book that came with the clock that helpful in getting the message across. Instead, we used a mantra 'star - you stay in bed; mr sun - you get up!' with actions, which we would tell her every night when we turned the clock on & then she would repeat it to herself. Incidentally, we found putting on a cd of classical music in the baby's room during naps & overnight helps drown out the noise from an exuberant toddler & helps the baby sleep more soundly.

My 6 month old goes down for naps & bedtime without any help but when he wakes at night the only thing that settles him is a few minutes of comfort sucking. I really would like to wean him off this, as he is definitely not hungry but sleeping no more than 3h at a time (often less) is tiring me out (sorry, I know there are those that have it much harder & I am probably being a wimp). The main problem is that he does not seem to be able to self soothe - he has various props including a comforter, teddy & music from the monitor which we only use at sleep times. Any advice is welcome! Thanks.

Sorry, I should have said, I need them for my toddler, thanks

Tried them but no luck, unless they got new stock in since. Just need some basics or value type tops- a multipack would be great if they exist.

Just wanted to recommend Captured on the Rye - my kids made a lovely spin painting print for their dad's birthday & a card with their footprints inside, both of which he loved. Lou & Bodine (?spelling) were absolutely lovely & my daughter really enjoyed creating the gifts.

I am after plain long sleeved tops of various colours that can be worn under t-shirts, pinafore dresses etc. The only ones I can find are patterned. Any idea where I can get them? Thanks

On the flip side, we got away relatively scott-free wrt to nursery bugs, no idea how but wanted to give you a positive experience to hang on to!

Never too soon, although some will want you to wait until after the baby has arrived. Also, beware that many nurseries will ask for an upfront, non-refundable registration fee for the privilege, usually around ?30. Good luck!

Pastures new - the school sounds great! if the idea appeals, you could approach the school (headteacher, secretary) and ask them to put you in touch with families that would be willing to meet with you with the aim of easing the transition into a new school & community. This would also give your a children a familiar face to look out for in their new school. Bornagain - thanks for explaining, always good to hear another view.

That question never bothered me, although I think it does for a lot of people. I always took it be a question that showed an interest in the person and would often lead onto a conversation about the country, the people, the cuisine. Yes, I am British but my origins are clearly not from here (if you saw me), so to me it's a fair question in the context of a civilised conversation.

Thanks for the reply. I was hoping it would be something like that, where the children will be oblivious to the fact they were being assessed and that there was no feeling of 'failure' if they were not chosen. Knowing my daughter she will become mute during the assessment even though she is an incessant chatterbox at all other times, hopefully that'll change by the time she is 4y, as for my 6 month old son...who knows?! I think we are currently in the catchment for Goodrich & Heber but we will almost certainly be moving in the next year to two so wanted to see if these schools are a viable option, from the assessment point of view at least.

Just looking at all the options & not wanting to start a debate about state V independent schools but can anyone tell me what is involved in the assessments for the local prep schools (JAPS, Alleyn, Dulwich Prep etc)? I don't want to coach my children for the assessment and don't want them to feel like they are being assessed but would like to know what is involved before going through the process. Please PM if you prefer. Thanks

It's very tricky & should we ever move, this would be definitely at the top of our concerns. I grew up in majority white areas (Surrey & Essex) and I experienced minimal racism but may be being so young meant I didn't perceive subtle racism as racism. However, my parents experienced more overt racism, e.g the local vicar would make a point of crossing the road whenever he saw my parents & completely ignored them when they attended another neighbour's funeral, although he greeted everyone else at the church door. A friend who is a doctor in Dorset often comes across racism in the form of back-handed compliments, such as 'you speak well for a coloured person' etc. On the flip side, my husband received racist comments when he went to watch a televised football match at the old CPT, so much so that he left at half-time as he felt it was beginning to escalate, something he has never done before. I think what I am trying to say is that racism is still everywhere, subtle & overt, & sadly you won't be able to avoid it or completely protect your children from it (of course, some areas are worse than others). However, you will somehow find a way to teach your children how to handle it wherever you end up living. When they are young they may not differentiate it from other hurtful, non-racist playground stuff but it may affect you more. More important is the school's & individual teacher's attitudes, as this may impact on your children's education & influence other children & it sounds like you are looking into that. Perhaps you can contact some of the parents of non-white children to find out their experiences of the school and the community? Sorry for all the waffle. The move sounds ideal in all other aspects & I hope you get positive feedback about the community.

Sometimes the big boxes of pampers (100+ nappies) are cheaper per nappy from amazon than supermarket own brands. Probably worth only getting these once your baby is a bit bigger and the weight range for the nappies is greater, so you are not left with loads of nappies that are too small. Also, if you find cheaper brands leak overnight, as the nappy was not being changed for 12h (which I did with my son), then you can use them for the day & use pampers at night. If you do find nappies are leaking frequently then it may also mean you need to go up a size.

Only the lonely - Roy Orbison

There have been a few threads about the hostel on Barry Rd needing things esp. for children. Here is the latest thread with links to other threads with their contact numbers (sorry it's a bit convoluted), plus suggestions for alternate places to donate to: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,1172969

The contact numbers for the hostel & Nancy, the nurse who works there, can be found on these two threads: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1109231,1109231#msg-1109231 http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?28,1113969,1161236#msg-1161236

Hellish

Snake

I'm a fool to want you - Billie Holiday

Teach

Summertime - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

Ashen

Sing - blur

Ladder