sillywoman

Willard Wrote: > I trust the sun > > was shining and there was poetry reading in the > > play ground....... > > > > Yes the sun was shining, it was the late heat wave > we had. No, there was no poetry reading, just kids > running around screaming and having fun, as 6 to > 10 year olds like to do in the play ground. Now I'm really confused. I thought Free schools - and this thread - were all about secondary education i.e. Age 11 and above? Are we discussing primary, cos that's a whole different ball game? If the free school-ers are doing Latin at primary that is impressive.

15 year old daughter & her friends charge ?5 per hour and a safe ride home (if we don't collect her).

I'd really like to come, but I don't have babies any more (though still have quite a lot to do with them). Will I be allowed?

yes you are Otta, the pilot was successful so they've extended it indefinitely. Dads - like Mums- are expected to respect the ward rules, & the fact that the women & babies there are recovering from childbirth. They're not allowed to use that bath/shower facilities.

Hmm, interesting document BB. It looks like it originates at The Gardens GP Surgery becasue of the reference at the beginning to your antenatal community midwife being "usually Stella" - she's good but not superwoman so she can't be seeing everyone in ED surely? Also a reference to being seen postnatally by Kings community midwives because we in ED are (mostly) out of area for Tommies.So it sound to me like an information sheet of the various ED options for Gardens Surgery patients, but useful for those from other surgeries & health clinics none the less.

The current recommendation is to introduce some solids sometime between 4-6 months, when you think your baby is ready. Is she watching you eat & smacking her lips, or trying to grab your cutlery in an attempt to feed herself? If so then she's ready. be careful of falling into the 'feed them solids to make them sleep' trap. I seem to recall reading some recent, fairly good (RCT) research that suggests whilst introducing solids can initially make babies sleep a little longer, within a couple of weeks that side effect will wear off and babies go back to waking either as frequently, or more frequently than before. It's likely to be a short term fix :(

top-tip from one of my Mums; tie a dressing gown cord to the end of the hospital bed to make it easier to pull yourself into sitting position post CS.

No permission needed. Dads can stay if they/Mum want it. It was initially a trial, but has been extended indefinitely becuase of the very positive feedback. Not a mixed ward sb, nothing like - Dad's can't use bath/shower facilities. No beds or bedding are provided, only a chair to sleep in. If you want to take a bedroll for them then you can but actually there's not that much floor space. The Mums I know who've had the Dads stay over have said mostly Dad ends up sleeping on the bed with them. The new system seems to work very well; those who prefer for their partners to go home & sleep so as to be useful next day do just that. Those that need some extra help (maybe caesarean Mums, or those who are very anxious, or who've had a very long and exhausting labour, or just who need someone there for support) can have their partners stay over night. Partners are expected to respect the fact that they're in a ward full of postnatal women - any that don't will be required to leave. There are partners there all day, so why would having some of them there during the night hours be any less respectful of your privacy? There are no 'private' rooms in the sense you mean katsuqueen, but there are individual rooms that it might be possible to have if you ask. They're usually kept for women who've had very traumatic deliveries, or have very ill babies - perhaps in NICU, or who've had a still birth. Obviously those women would have priority. If the rooms are free though & it's fairly quiet on the ward then you might be able to have one if you ask.

Willard Wrote: -I was really impressed by what > I saw. The kids were mega disciplined, the > teachers said they seemed to actually like having > stricter boundaries where there is an absolute > zero tolerance of any disruption in class. The > teachers seemed really passionate about the > schools. The curriculum offered things like Latin > and other languages kids wouldn't get to learn > otherwise. But what impressed me the most was that > there is no selection process: if you fall within > the catchment area and you apply, you're in. > Sounds just like 'The Charter'.

That knocks my info into a cocked hat then! :-$

I think using the site as a base for a school was looked into some years ago now when the campaign for a proper local comprehensive school was looking for a suitable site (now The Charter). It wasn't feasible because the site is under some kind of deed which means it can only be used to benefit the health of the people of the borough - I think.

Brilliant idea, or even better - a pocket park. How does anyone achieve something like that?

Don't rise Zebedee. GG only posts to bait, as a quick look at his thread history shows. I know from experience that he/she is frankly an odd poster (http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,239732,page=6)

ladywotlunches Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > So sorry to here about you experience. The > annoyance factor, like you say, is almost the > worst thing about it. The hassle of trying to sort > it out especially when you are on your way > somewhere ( and if you're like me, in a hurry!). > > Don't know what to suggest in terms of tackling > crime - other than definitely report it to the > police. At the least you'll get a few more bobbies > down the road temporarily as they are told to keep > an eye. cCTV is also an option and not too > expensive and mat deter the opportunists. > > Hope you're weekend has gone better since! Whilst I also hope that the rest of kapaxiana's weekend has been better I would have to disagree with your comment about the police ladywotlunches. Having been on the receiving end of this kind of crime three times this year. Having had a motorbike (locked), a pushbike (behind a high locked gate) and a car (locked) all stolen from in front of our house this year I would have to say the response from the police has been completely underwhelming. In fact Mr S & I are agreed that if it wasn't necessary for the (pitiful) insurance claim we now wouldn't bother notifying them. We've lived here very happily for the last 16 years and never encountered anything like the level of crime we've been subject to in the last 10 months. Speaking to local friends and acquaintances our feelings of alarm & distress at the marked increase in thefts and burglaries in East Dulwich isn't unusual, and the feeling that the police are way behind the curve on what's happening here isn't limited to just us either. I'm not sure what's going on (more affluent people moving in making our area a target maybe?) but I would agree that there's a professional gang - or maybe a few - operating in the area. Certainly our robberies seemed to be professional jobs. I didn't get any impression from the responses to our burglaries/robberies that the police have any sense of this, or any sense of urgency in dealing with it if they are aware. I haven't noticed any increase in "bobbies down the road" temporarily or otherwise.

Didn't taper say on the last thread that amber has to be heated to 200 degrees before it releases succinic acid though? Someone told me a few days ago (sorry - this is all heresay, no facts) that by gnawing on the amber babies produce an excess of saliva, & that saliva has mild anaesthetic properties so it helps reduce the discomfort of teething. No idea if it's true but it sounds more plausible than the acid thing to me.

MGolden Wrote: there are still some people who think > Kingsdale is a dreadful school and so I suppose > they still feel the need to sell themselves. They aren't usually people who've been to see it anytime in the last 5 years though MGolden :)

Hmm, it's something we haven't explored really cuppa tea, but I guess the answer would be 'yes', but not within the standard school system so it would involve him leaving his established friendship group to go to a further Ed college. At the moment I think that kind of upheaval isn't something he'd want to consider. He'd rather face the early GCSE's with his group of mates & I think taking into account the kind of boy he is that's probably the lesser of two evils for him. I guess you don't always need GCSE's, or even A levels to go onto further or Higher Ed? My neighbour home Ed's her two boys & I seem to recall her telling me that Home Ed-ers just need to be able to show/prove that they have the depth of knowledge and capacity for study that Higher academia needs - a portfolio of work for example. I suppose that with the Education system - like all big systems & institutions - there are always ways around the 'rules & regulations' because not everyone works within it, so there must be ways of enabling those people to join 'the system' should they want to?

albert Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Noquestion, Prendergast a much better school. I'd be interested to know how current is the information you're basing that opinion on albert? Prendergast was considered to be good many years ago now, but when we went to look the infrastructure was very run down & shabby. Kingsdale is a real success story (current exam issues notwithstanding), it's a thriving buzzing school with a real energy about it and a lot of very happy, motivated and achieving kids (and happy parents too). The teachers & staff are so proud of their lovely shiny school and this rubs off on the kids. By contrast Prendergast gave of a real impression of resting on their -rather old & shabby - laurels. So if it were my child I'd have to say the opposite; No question, Kingsdale definitely the better school.

Charter catchment is distance based, so it depends who applies in any given year & where they live. I've got 3 there now and they all have friends in their year who live well beyond Lordship Lane. Kingsdale's intake is banded - so based on academic ability, but not exclusive of any ability level - if that makes sense? Private Education? Whether you think it's worth it or not depends what kind of people you want your children to hang out with/ grow into, how academically able they are (if not very then they'll probably do much better in private Ed) & whether you've got a spare grand or more a month I guess?

not a teacher - well not the 'proper' sort anyway, but this is quite interesting as i have a case study going on in my house at the moment. Biggest boy in our house is an August baby & hated school & nursery from the outset. In infants & juniors he was pretty much bottom set for everything except maths (top middle). He didn't read at all until he was about 8 or 9, then struggled with reading & writing until he was about 12, being diagnosed with dyslexia & dyspraxia. Now he's 14, & seems to be doing - well, OK actually. Academically he's in the top or top middle groups at school, and I can forsee that once he can specialise a bit (A levels) he'll probably do very well ac academically - all other things being equal. I still fret over the fact that he'll be taking all his GCSE's etc at 15 & A levels at 17, but there's little I can do about it. I think that there are boys like this in most schools - boys that do so much better once they can study only the subjects that interest them. I think you're husband could be right New Mother (but I won't tell him if you won't) ;-).

Thankyou Sam the security guard, and Thankyou Scor, for your bravery, courage and moral fibre and using them in the defence of a small part of our community - Thankyou.

I think my youngest was about 2 1/2 when we went - I don't recall it being traumatic for him in any way, but I can't say he got much out of it & he certainly doesn't recall any of it 5 years on. The older kids liked it well enough (5, 8 &9), it is expensive though, but I see to remember that they gave out vouchers so we got in cheaper? Might be worth googling to see if there are any voucher deals.

The song in Mama Mia that she sings to her daughter "slipping through my fingers all the time"; even typing the words a big pathetic tear has plopped onto the keyboard. If you have a daughter who is, well - any age really don't listen to it or you'll be a blubbering mess too. Oh, just seen that catgirl already mentioned it. Good call catgirl. Also Annie's song by John Denver (really showing my age, or rather my parents age, now)!

Spaceman Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > My nephew is a great young man, but is forever > losing his phone/ipod/wallet etc. Hopefully this > guy was genuine and you helped him out. Probably > not a good idea to give a potential con artist > your phone to use though as they might do A RUNNER > with it! But would your nephew stop strangers in the street to ask for money to help him replace his phone/ipod/ wallet/ or to get home Spaceman? I'm guessing probably not.

You're all Lovely NappyL, you know you are, but we are too. Just wanted to counterbalance PR's friends 'no community in ED' perspective.:)