newtoedf

my two have ikea extendable beds which seem a good compromise. They are as wide as a standard single and have two extra bits of mattress which you can add in over time. They have the width but are low to the ground like a toddler bed and it means you can have a smaller bed for longer which helps with space but extend them quickly for guests if necessary. I got ours second hand but bought new mattresses online.

I think the Kings milk bank also use it for research. I had some surplus I donated and was told it wasn't enough to be worth all the testing necessary for giving it to preemies but it would be used for research purposes. So probably still worth contacting them.

Westminster University are carrying out research about peoples views of children's cycling safety. Here is a link to the researcher's website: http://rachelaldred.org/projects-2/research-project-on-cycling-and-children/

thanks - I'll try and check both. A friend has also suggested the Hoy kids bikes which are very new but seem to have similar design principles and are even lighter.

Hello, I'm thinking of getting one of these for my 6yo and wondered if anyone had one that they would be kind enough to let her have a quick try on? They sound amazing but are sooo expensive that I really want to be sure it's the right choice! Thanks

if you are travelling by train try to get to the station early and ask to put your luggage in the guards van. by the time you add in 4 sleeping bags, mats/inflatable mattresses, luggage, cooking stuff etc. it is likely to take up a lot of space and there is often minimal storage space on trains. If it's busy it will be hideous trying to stow it all away without dropping it on anyone. I've taken the camping gear for 4 of us on the train by myself with a toddler in tow and it was fine but I was very grateful for the guard's van...

Stick to a standard size (i.e. 6,8,10ft) We got a 7ft as it's the biggest we could fit. Right now it's great but I've now discovered you can't get replacement mat or nets for it like you can for a standard size one which is a big minus I wish I'd known earlier!

I'm not sure that any holiday clubs start before 4 (or often 5). If there are then I'd love details as my 3 yo is desperate to join in some of his big sister's exciting holiday activities but I haven't seen any yet. As well as the ones mentioned above there's southwark gymnastics which is great (but not for under 4s!) http://www.southwarkgymnastics.co.uk I think they are planning to have a holiday club but details aren't on the website yet.

I've got one of these http://myzigo.com which I love and which solves the problem of onward travel without the children. However, I think all cargo bikes take a bit of getting used to. They handle very differently from a bike since they are effectively a trike which is disconcerting until you are used to it. Also, they are very heavy, especially when laden with kids! Hills are a real challenge!

Taggs is still there and still working but I think it is just him so the best thing I've found is to phone and arrange a time to drop the machine off. I had an old singer serviced there recently for ?30.

Southwark gymnastics are great. Much more laid back than ladywell but still pretty focussed. They have drop in tiny gym classes for under 5s at camberwell leisure centre and classes from 4 years. http://www.southwarkgymnastics.co.uk

david_carnell, we used one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kampa-Junior-Airlock-Airbed-Blue/dp/B001W2ICA0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398981963&sr=8-1&keywords=kampa+airbed for our monkey when he was little. He now just shares a double air bed with his big sister.

I got my 6 yo and 3 yo vaccinated recently. Both had been exposed multiple times but not caught it and I felt it was better to make sure that they wouldn't get it later on. Judging by friends' experiences, it can be pretty miserable for child and parents even if it is not a particularly serious case. In lots of countries it is on the general vaccination schedule.

I thought it was great. I tried to share it on Facebook but I wasn't sure I could link to the survey after I'd completed it myself?

I think sometimes there's more to it than just the highways budget too. I asked about the bottom end of rye lane which is a real mess and was told that there are major gas renewal works planned there too which mean the resurfacing is pointless until that's done. A sensible response I thought even if it is frustrating in the short term...

Hi, I need to get some decent photos of my house - can anyone recommend a photographer? Thanks!

sounds identical to my 3 year old - I resorted to bribery with Smarties to get him to wear a pull-up in bed again. He is very motivated by chocolate! It seems to have worked, one day we will have to deal with it again but right now, he is so clearly not ready that bribing him to wear a nappy seemed like the only option... One day I may also have to deal with his food issues, I know...

Is it worth finding out how much actual face-time is required before deciding? I've recently started studying full-time and my kids are similar ages to yours. However, I don't need to be in any particular place to study a lot of the time, which means that I am able to do drop-offs 5 days a week and pick-ups 3 days a week so it's fitting in very well with the kids. I have also found that having worked in fairly high-pressure jobs for many years, I am so much more organised and focussed than most of the others on my course who don't have kids so I don't feel like I'm not giving it as much as they are. I study most evenings but I really enjoy what I'm doing so it's no hardship. I have a good and very reliable and flexible childminder too which helps a lot.

My experience was similar to what others are saying. we had 2 half days at nursery from 13 months to 2.5years and a childminder 3 days. We kept her at nursery as it was such a lovely place with very caring staff but with the benefit of hindsight we really shouldn't have. 5 days away each week was a long time for such a little one and she never really settled. The difference when we moved her to the school nursery was astonishing...

Just to let you know that Southwark Cyclists are having a public meeting on Wednesday 12th Feb at 6.30pm at the Peckham Liberal Club to decide on a list of demands that they will try to get candidates to commit to ahead of the local elections. All are welcome.

I have a (reasonably battered) toro that I haven't got round to getting rid of. I got it when my eldest was 18months and used it until my little one was 2.5. My eldest could still fit in it when she was 5! I stopped using it because we now just need a scooter rather than because it was outgrown. It is exceedingly sturdy, I frequently used to sit one in the seat and the other on top of the mechanism (definitely not recommended by the manufacturers btw but very handy at times. anyway, I've got the buggy board as well so if you wanted to have a look and make me an offer - (I've got the carry cot, zip on sunscreen and rain cover and the attachments that let you fit a maxi cosi carseat).

I used to think that parents who didn't vaccinate their children were only putting their own children at risk. Then I got a letter home from my daughter's nursery about a case there. My child was not quite 1 so almost due her MMR but not quite. The realisation that my child was a risk of contracting a potentially life-threatening disease because of someone else neglecting to vaccinate their child quickly changed my mind! It is with noting that some countries won't allow unvaccinated children to attend school.

Oh wow, just read the MMR thread... Astonished that it even exists at all

Great - thanks for the advice. Forecast looks slightly better for sunday than saturday but going on saturday sounds like a good plan. I must check out what's coming up at the Albany too!

I am wondering about whether or not to attempt to catch any of the chinese new year celebrations this weekend. Has anyone tried it with small children (mine are 3 and 6)? I am a bit worried it will be too crowded for them to cope with and they won't be able to see anyway. Any advice?