Pickle

Would be a great opportunity to create some really nice guestrooms and fill the "where can my visiting relatives/friends stay" void. But my money is on developer, rip it down, new build townhouses/flats.

We had a brilliant week in New Romney a couple of years ago. Things other than the beach that we enjoyed: A trip on the little railway, to Dungeness, up the lighthouse - great fun. Military canals in Hythe (you may or may not want to risk hiring a row boat...) Port Lympney safari park, big with lots of space to run, my kids loved it

My daughter's ballet teacher has just emailed out information about a new class called "Fit Slings" which sounds like fun. "Fit slings will start in April. It is a baby-friendly session combining dance, Zumba moves and other workout elements. Mums can carry their babies in their slings while exercising or simply leave them in the pram or on a play mat". Contact details are as follows: EOS Dance School 07833 148 510 [email protected] www.eosdance.co.uk

Yes, very dangerous. I negotiate it when out running too - it's bad enough at off peak times, would hate to try and do it when the traffic is heavier or with kids. I guess the option is to go up the hill a bit, there's a crossing near the modern apartments, and then come down the other side.

Ours arrived this morning.

Now that I've watched it all, one doctor in Sweden and unspecified "government backed research" claim to have proven a link. Or did I miss something? Sensationalist reporting at it's best.

Just watching it now, haven't reached a part where they prove a link yet. Granted, it's horrible, but equally a whole community of children dying due to a measles outbreak would be horrible too.

We have decided to take a punt on Guernsey this time round - my history mad 8 year old will love it, and if we get nice weather (late August, so fingers crossed) there's a lovely beach just across the road from our accommodation. Loads of great ideas here though, thank you - will store it all away for future holidays.

When someone takes a swig of water, while they have a mouthful of food, and then chew the ensuing food/liquid combo.

I think trying to find a little bit of time to yourself is key, especially if you are the primary carer during the week. I used to escape to a local cafe for an hour (between feeds for the baby) with a magazine on Saturday mornings, it was bliss.

Thrilled that they are up and running again. Great coffee and cakes, and we held our daughters birthday party there a couple of years ago which was brilliant. Will pop by next week - I have no doubt that they will be well supported as they find their feet again.

No, we can't avoid August. Mr Pickle found an amazing looking place in Greece, only to discover it was ?4,000 (!) more expensive in August than September. Ridiculous! Thanks for your ideas, will spend the evening browsing. Yak, I have a similar soft play hell experience, down in Kent - the one rainy day we had we ended up in the same place as half the county. The stuff nightmares are made of, but with bright blue slushies and half cooked, half frozen chicken nuggets thrown in for good measure :)

Lunchtime browsing for inspiration has led me to Guernsey - anyone been?

We are terrible at booking holidays, so are only just thinking about somewhere to go for a week this summer. Last year we spent a week in a resort in Portugal, which was lovely. We've previously been to Devon, and to the Kent coast (lovely given it's only an hour away), but we are struggling to come up with inspiration this year. We spend a lot of time in New Zealand and Scotland visiting family, so thinking of "proper" holidays isn't something we do very often. Kids will be 8, 7 and 3.5. Happy to fly, equally happy to drive. Requirements would be: Warm Pool and/or beach safe for kids Opportunity for relaxation for parents, as well as fun for kids Flexible budget Help!

Absolutely! I have 17 months between my 1st and 2nd children. My eldest didn't start walking until his little sister was 6 months old, which made things easier at times (he could be contained), but tough in that I had to carry them both to the car/buggy/upstairs. I coped by spending a lot of time at playgroups and the park, and they both started having a lunchtime nap at the same time when the baby was about 3 months which was a godsend. They are now 8 and nearly 7, and the small gap is brilliant. They are the best of friends, play together a lot of the time, and have done since the smaller of the two started walking. A small gap means they enjoy the same things, making family holidays and trips much easier (although we have a 3 year old too which makes things a bit tricky!). Be assured, things do get easier, and quite quickly. Enjoy it while they can't gang up on you with their superior knowledge of everything...

I'm not a Sea Cow fan - granted the fish is fresh, and there's a good selection, but I always find it really greasy. Sem's for me, they're always happy to oblige my crispy chips request.

I also recommend Bosch and John Lewis. Have had Bosch washing machines for the last 12 years, they are bullet proof.

I didn't see much of it last night, but did catch Ed Sheeran's performance which I thought was brilliant. Very talented young guy. http://youtu.be/K4Udv9qgOWU

"Ofcourse my childrens health are paramount and come first" Then it's simple, vaccinate them.

I know a lot of childminders, and they have really varied menus depending on the children they have on a particular day. Pasta, jacket potatoes etc are standard fare, but they also serve up bolognaise, cottage pie etc, and one does a roast dinner for the kids. Chances are she serves different meals every day and will be happy to provide you with a menu plan of sorts. She sounds great, it's certainly the route I'd go down for my kids if I needed childcare as I feel the home environment and variety of activities are important. Good luck x

We get presented with some amazing creations, Lego is such a brilliant toy (apart from the pain when you stand on it!).

My son is Lego mad. In terms of keeping sets together, you don't. Once they're made, they're made - keep the instructions but generally you'll find specific sets (Star Wars ships, for example) tend to get played with as an item, rather than pulled apart again. We have a "Box 4 Blox" which absolutely brilliant for storage. The tiny bits filter down to the bottom layer, meaning they're easy to find when required.

My feeling would be that in a "play" situation it's ok (my kids think it's hilarious to be pulled around by their feet), but most definitely not acceptable if trying to move your son somewhere he does to want to be. In that situation, he should have been picked up, not dragged. I hope you get some answers.

Thanks all. We tried Squeebles this evening and they both seemed to enjoy it. Will have a look at the other suggestions tomorrow, much appreciated.

Help. My year 3, 8 year old son isn't a fan of maths and I'm struggling to get the times tables to stick (and my daughter, but not to the same extent, she's year 2). We've done a lot of dreaded Percy Parker - he can sing the songs beautifully but when asked tables out of order goes completely blank. Flash cards, repetition, and some pretty rubbish games online have been tried, but unless it's something he enjoys he is reluctant to make an effort. I'm hoping someone has stumbled across a game/app that makes times tables fun?! Star Wars themed would be ideal, but I won't hold my breath :) Doesn't have to be free, happy to pay a subscription or for an app if it helps relieve times table stress! Thanks.