Rhubarb&Custard

OK - I'm going to throw a spanner in the works... Doesn't this kind of thread simply scratch away at our neurosis as parents? That if my child is not rolling over by X months etc.etc., then there might be something wrong? When my children were babies / toddlers I felt the constant comparison and 'ticking off' of 'milestones' to be really negative, at some times competitive, and at other times really quite stressful. There seems to be so much pressure from all corners to ensure our children seem to be doing certain things 'when they should'. One of my children didn't walk until 22 months: absolutely nothing wrong physically, or mentally - just something that happened 'when it did'. Had I been checking off on a milestone thread such as this I'd have gone into meltdown. Not a criticism - as I know the thread has been started with good intentions: but just something to be aware of.

Brilliant idea! Have sent you a message.

Hi Spooner I have PM'd you with further insight / reassurance.

In response to chantelle - from first hand experience: children on Shenley Road, Crofton Rd, and Bushey Hill Rd were offered / given places at Lyndhurst in 2010.

You have absolutely nothing to worry about! The area you are thinking of moving to is a really friendly community for those with children. It's got a nice, creative feel to the place, and house-wise (size, architecture etc) the area is a little more interesting than other areas IMO (you'll find that people around here like being that little bit different). Warwick Gardens playground is a great place to meet others with children - and you will soon find that your social network will grow quickly and easily. We have lived here for nearly 10 years, with and without children, and have never had any problems re: children's safety etc. As for schools, you'd be pushed to find anywhere better than highly regarded Lyndhurst School in either ED or Peckham Rye: and being safely within the catchment area you'll have none of the 'getting a place' stress that seems to be such an issue in ED / SE15. Also there is the utterly wonderful Villa Nursery and School (where people come from ED and even as far as Nunhead to attend). If you are intending to say here up until secondary level then a lot of children here go to Haberdasher Askes (some have also got places at The Charter and Kingsdale): the children in our road (who we all know very well) have done very well at primary, secondary and further education. Not a black-spot at all. And as someone else has mentioned on this tread, you really will be in the perfect place for getting about. East Dulwich is walkable, as is Bellenden. And at least you have both Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye station to choose from. So do forget all the usual cliche talk, and sharp intake of breath re: Camberwell. Go for it.

I am going out on a limb here (excuse the related recall pun) and will inevitably be shot down by saying I absolutely LOATHED, LOATHED, LOATHED the P&T. I found it extremely heavy (forget trying to get it into a car), clumsy (felt like I was pushing a loaded wayward supermarket trolley around), the tyres a right pain (e.g. found the front one had a habit of coming off the wheel frame), the handle height awkward for a tall person, and the brake difficult to operate (unless you had the calf muscles of a weight lifter). Also took up acres of space in the house. On the plus side, my husband did manage to slice off a finger wart when collapsing the darn thing down one day. Having tried every wart remover remedy under the sun, the P&T came up trumps. There is definitely an opportunity for a designer to create an aesthetically pleasing double buggy that ticks the above boxes. Because IMO there's nothing yet out there. As someone has mentioned above, definitely experiment with weight before you buy. I think, in time, you'll really value maneuverability and lightness over trend-following.

A perfectly spot-on ad', seen on TV this week, that most of us can all relate to (and very much akin to the original post)... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C4UVs3JD-g

It's this - http://www.hotpotatomovie.com/index.htm Starring, err.. Louise Redknapp....

My 5 year old daughter was given one of these ... http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Toys-R-Us/Learning/Electronic-Learning/VTech-Disney-Princess-Magic-Wand-Laptop(0035119)?cm_mmc=Feed-_-Google%20Base-_-N%2FA-_-VTech%20Disney%20Princess%20Magic%20Wand%20Laptop Looks hideous and might dent one's design sensibilities (hardly a Jonathan Ive / Apple classic) - but she loves it, as do all the other little girls that come around to play. Has various word, music and counting games - and makes her feel like she owns a real laptop (... heaven help us).

I used to have a Mini - and have to say it was a pain trying to get one of those baby seats in and out (had to tip the baby seat up slightly sideways to get it in). Even when my child was old enough to have a fixed seat, it was a struggle lifting / strapping them in. However, weirdly, a friend with a small child has a 2 door Fiat 500 and it seems much easier as the front seat comes forward / folds further forward. A small design difference which makes life with a 2 door bearable. Anyway - they grow up fast, and before you know it they can jump in themselves. So it's only for a short time to grin and bear if you did plump for a Mini.

Peckhamboy - you have a nice way with words. Honestly, do you really think that irresponsible dog owners bother to either read or learn from the EDF?

... oh, here we go again. Another thinly veiled anti-dog rant. While AliPali's experience may have been frightening for him/her and his/her mother, it's the exception not the norm. I exercise our dog every day in either Dulwich Park or Peckham Rye, and in 10 years of walking, I can safely say that I (or my two young children) have never encountered a dog behaving dangerously; over enthusiastic perhaps yes, but not one that was going to rip off my limbs, or those of my children. And of all the parks, Dulwich certainly attracts the responsible dog owner. Maybe we've been lucky, but maybe there is something in a decade's experience. I therefore think the purpose of this thread is nothing more than a disguised attempt to see all dogs either banned from the park, or restricted to a small area. And as for muzzling dogs over 5lbs... from previous threads we all know how much some posters would like to see dogs simply not walk the planet. Regarding the safety of my children I'd be more worried about being hit by one of the cyclists who race around the perimeter at high speed, than I would of them meeting a stocky terrier with a studded collar. The thing is Dulwich park is a park for all of us: fitness fanatics, footballers, strollers old and young - and yes, even those keen cyclists and us dog walkers. Whatever happened to AliPali is extremely unfortunate - but also extremely rare in this park. One isolated story, and it's all talk of 'rules and regulations' and muzzling dogs. For goodness sake, why can't we all just live and let live?

Rach - do know that this year's new school intake children who live on Lyndhurst Grove (those without siblings at the school) only got into Lyndhurst Primary through the clearing process. It's not a given living on Lyndhurst Grove that you get in (e.g. it depends at which end you live) - so best look at all the schools in the area (I hear really good things about Bellenden too). Also had the same personal experience as snss75 with the school. We got so fed up we didn't bother with them in the end.

Look in your Spam / Junk folder - that's where ours were!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2010/sep/21/herne-hill-1948-london-olympics Good article. Good luck with the campaign.

Hi there Can anyone recommend a friendly, engaging entertainer for a 3 year old girl's small party at home? Need someone who is fun but wouldn't make a roomful of young children run screaming for the door (horror vision of Mr Jelly from Psychoville). Oh, and affordable. Of course. Big ta.

Daniel at Half Moon Dentists in Herne Hill. He's wonderful with children.

Hear, hear! And the flowers SMELL amazing. Check out the roses x

It will be fab. Have had two c-sections at Kings: one, unfortunately was an emergency under general anesthetic (a whole different ball game) and the other an elective. The elective C section was lovely. The theatre staff were so warm and friendly (and humorous), and they did much to quell my nerves. Lots of banter, and much reassurance. The theatre we were in that day was sunny and bright, and overlooked Ruskin Park (if I remember correctly). Recovery back on the wards was fine; but would just say don't be afraid to ask for help. The midwifes are rushed off their feet but you will need them - e.g. to help lift your baby to feed etc., so press that button! They keep you dosed up with pain relief for quite a few days - so you should feel OK. I was up on the second day for a shower, and it's good to have a friend or partner there when that happens to give you a hand getting back on your feet. Things to pack; your own pillow, ear plugs (A MUST), BIG pants that can cover your scar, and flip flops for walking about in / having a shower (all of which you can chuck later). I was home on day 3 with both C-sections - again don't be afraid to ask to leave if you feel up to it; I thought I'd recover much better being at home (even after the trauma of a general anesthetic section)- which I did. I still find it incredible how quickly I did recover. Stitches (or whatever they're called) were taken out only a couple of days after getting home. I found a few drops of tea-tree oil in the bath really helped heal and sooth. I hope it will be an absolutely wonderful experience for you. Best of luck, and much joy x

McDonalds. Just to enjoy the hysteria unfold on here.

Glad to see the worming tablet I gave my daughter yesterday worked a treat.

Blimey - a Brazilian after giving birth. Your bravery makes my eyes water!!

littleEDfamily Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Yep - the ?100 or so we save a month via Childcare > vouchers is a very much needed bit of relief. > Didn't know about working tax credits for the self > employed.... must investigate.... It's a bit of a minefield from our experience (both myself and my partner are self-employed). If you are self-employed, working tax credit is calculated according to your earnings forecast (i.e. a year ahead of submitting your actual tax return). Therefore if you earn any amount over your forecast you end up owing the tax man. We found to our horrible cost that working tax credit for the self-employed is good only if you know your projected self-employed income precisely (which is pretty hard for many self-employed) - if not then expect to pay back the sums over a year later. For us working tax credit proved a head ache, and threw long-term financial planning out of the window. While I am grateful for being self-employed, and love it, I do feel we are penalised if we have kids - no childcare vouchers and a working tax credit system that does not favour how we work / pay our tax.

bawdy-nan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > You can get working tax > credits which support childcare costs if you are > self-employed. Although I don't imagine this would > be of much interest to those fretting about the > cost of private education ;-) Why wouldn't it be of interest? Kind of a sweeping (and inaccurate) assumption that the cost of private education is somehow for the super wealthy and that tax benefits are of no importance to those who choose that route. Nursery education (which many of us on here pay) is on a par, if not more than private primary /secondary education. It's a fact that my child's 4 day a week nursery education is actually more annually than the fees of a well known local private pre-prep school up the road. Therefore it's wrong to assume that someone paying out upwards of ?9K a year for private primary education is less likely to be interested in tax benefits (in whatever form) than someone paying ?9K a year for nursery education. Sorry to go off topic / thread, but the often wildly inaccurate prejudice about state v private and income annoys me. So many of us are shelling out one way or another, and just as much, so that our children can be taken care of/ educated / picked up after school etc etc., while we work.

bawdy-nan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Don't forget childcare vouchers too. I'm making > the assumption that at least one of you pays the > higher rate of tax, in which case you can get a > massive subsidy by having the cost of the vouchers > taken off your pre-tax income,onlypaying tax on > the remiander. Unless you're self-employed of course. No financial childcare help for those who work for themselves. Grrrrr...