simonethebeaver

Hi This link to the Habs website allows you to register support. They are trying hard to upload the brochure they have giving more information, but there's an IT glitch in process. It should appear soon! They will also be holding a public meeting very soon and the date will go up on the website, and I'm sure on here too. http://www.haaf.org.uk/New-East-Dulwich-Secondary-School-1

We've also got a place. That sounds like a nice idea.

Shauna, I completely understand that you want to make the point that the risk of health issues can rise with maternal age, and I'm sure that is a factor to consider for anyone planning a pregnancy at that age. I know the friends I have who have decided to have children over 40 have put great thought into the risks. But for the sake of clarity, maternal age is not a risk factor for spina bifida.

No, none. The guidance from NSPCC says not to leave your kids in a car at all, but that's not statutory. If the police want to prosecute you for neglect, they have to take the context and the child's maturity into consideration. I often leave mine for short periods - eg cash points, taking supermarket trolleys back - and I doubt anyone official would take any action.

Can I just add Qbot, Qbot, Qbot to the voices? We got one because we were with a disabled child, and I honestly cannot imagine how awful it would have been without it, if your kids want to go on the rides. And we went on a quiet day too.

Oxford is full of serviced apartments aimed at business people which are often discounted at weekends. Possibly a good option with three kids as you have lots of space.

I just wanted to sing the praises of Dulwich Childcare. We needed a nanny in an emergency, and the fantastic Paula found us a lovely, competent nanny at one day's notice, and our children love her. The rates are ridiculously reasonable for this sort of service, and Paula has been a pleasure to deal with. My colleagues, who watched me panicking yesterday morning, cannot believe how easily the situation was sorted!

CP Hart in Waterloo have a huge clearance warehouse with expensive stuff discounted. You have to arrange collection pretty much immediately though.

They are certainly NOT all pretty safe. They killed a laptop at our house. Also keep an eye on what servers he's using, as there are some dodgy ones out there. At the very least, you'll find Bing installing itself as your search engine every week. We banned mods basically. We are the meanest parents I'm afraid.

Knomester, both my children had formula as I have low supply for medical reasons. It made me very sad, mostly because I felt my body had failed my babies, but so many wise people told me how little it matters how a baby is fed, so long as they are loved. While I continue still to feel upset about my own body, I really can't complain about how healthy and happy my children are. Someone I know posted this quote on FB the other day, which made me laugh: "I bottle-fed, and I breastfed, and before I knew it, they were all eating stale french fries off the floor of the minivan, and I was like, whatever, thanks for cleaning."

Give in to it... I am currently staring at photos of identical looking tiles trying to work out which I find less dull. Laundry cupboards are the crazy side of life!

We're having our kitchen done and are moving the back wall of the kitchen forward a bit to create a full bathroom out of our downstairs loo and a utility cupboard for washing machine/tumble dryer stacked, and cat food made out of our coat cupboard. We lose a little bit of big kitchen but it's going to be proper big still.

They've been in Harrods for around a decade.

I'm feeling very sad tonight as we had our last Baby Sensory class today. A huge thanks to Chee for our months of fun together. I will miss our hour of mad ideas together very much. This week's baby orchestra was a suitable finale - he's definitely got the hang of a drum!

I've taken kids there twice and second some of those recommendations, particularly Central Park Zoo. I don't know what your budget is, but we've stayed at the Hotel Giraffe, and it was fantastic. It has suites for very little less than a room (I did a quick search just now and a suite was $20 more a night in August) so you all get a better night's sleep. It has a free, very nice breakfast which makes mornings easier, and it also offers free(!) wine for two hours every evening, which means you can unwind at the end of a long day!

We also used Mimosa. Lovely stuff and reasonable.

Thank you. I'd gone for a nursery that would allow her to do three full days rather than the school ones with the half days, but I'd rather she did that if necessary than nothing! Can't have her sitting around slacking for the next year.

Thanks, London. I've heard good things about them too. We're down for Dulwich Village Pre-school at the moment which I loved. Does anyone know anything about the pre-school in the church hall opposite Fairlawn?

We've only applied to a non-school preschool and are yet to hear from them about a place. I'm now panicking slightly that we won't get in there and I've not applied anywhere else. Do I have any chance of getting into anywhere with this notice?!

I've not been to any carveries round here, but I have eaten at buffet style places with kids. I'd say the pro is that you cut out that stage between sitting down and the food arriving where behaviour goes haywire, while the con, as you suggest, is some level of sophistication! I think it depends on what you want out of the meal and how well your children wait for food.

I now have a 3 and 1 year old and am definitely planning a third. My, possibly shallow, worry is that the other people I know who had their firsts when I did, and have had or are having seconds, are pretty much done with babies. So who will my new baby and I play with?!

St Faith's allows bouncy castles. We had one there at our wedding.

Am I right in saying, Sillywoman, that women booked at Kings have the option of using the birth centre at Lewisham if they are low risk? Or has that changed?

Surely au pairs shouldn't be asked to do childcare for full days? And preferably not have sole care for children under two either?

Sorry, just seen it's for over 6s! May be of interest to others though. As an aside, I'd be wary of promising too much. Museums' dressing up stuff is often either knackered or missing. And I would include the V&A in that!