Saffron

It sounds a bit like your daughter has been at the really unlucky end of the spectrum for what is normal, but repeated infections with lingering cough could also be early indicators of asthma or allergies. If everything serious is ruled out, then symptomatic treatment is definitely the way to go. Fwiw, my daughter was coughing basically all last autumn, frequently to the point of making herself sick. She did finally get over it this winter only to get another cough this spring. Argh! We've found antihistamines, simple linctus, humidifiers etc help. Some people think cranial osteopathy helps. We haven't tried it. There isn't much empirical data to support it, but maybe worth a try. You can also make your own simple linctus with local honey. xx

Just to reassure you on two accounts-- First, it can be completely normal for children to go through phases of multiple respiratory infections. Second, antibiotics don't stop your immune system from developing. They work with the immune system, not against it. That being said, if your daughter had VIRAL infections WHY was she given ANTIBIOTICS??? Unless your dr suspected secondary bacterial infection, antibiotics are inappropriate. Personally I would go ahead with the chest x-ray because it could help rule out lingering pockets of inflammation, structural anomalies, or presence of a foreign object (rare but does happen and people don't always know they've inhaled something!). If you haven't been seen by a paediatric respiratory specialist, consider asking for a referral? Alternative therapies may provide some symptomatic relief, but I don't know of any alternative treatments that will improve pulmonary outcomes where there is a serious underlying pathology. xx

Lost property at Little Saff's school is set out in large plastic tubs every morning in the playground. Items are roughly sorted by type, eg coats,jumpers, or misc. There's a big clear out at the end of term for unclaimed items. xx

I can't think of any good reasons NOT to ask, if it's important to you. Either it was something she meant to clean but forgot, or it's nothing to do with her, surely? Everyone makes mistakes. Might as well give her an opportunity to amend it... unless of course you're looking for reasons to hire someone new.

So sorry to heat that midivydale! No personal experience of reflux with Little Saff, but we are all too familiar with tummy bugs. They are Little Saff's achilles heal. Infection (usually viral) of the gastric tract leads to delayed emptying of the stomach contents into the intestines. Food can stay in the stomach basically undigested for long periods of time. This can cause all kinds of havoc. Sorry TMI ahead: I've seen bits of black olives make a reappearance in the vomit more than 24 hours after Little Saff ate them! The paeds nurse confirmed this is not uncommon. GI bugs can also affect the pancrease and gall bladder, which secrete enzymes important for digestion and metabolism. I'll spare you the TMI of what happened when I had a GI bug with gall bladder inflammation, needless to say it was most peculiar. I can imagine any combination of those effects (reduced motility/reduced secretion) could cause increased food sensitivities and worsen reflux. Have you tried the BRAT diet for your LO combined with some low dose reflux meds? Hope it's better soon. xx

When we lived on Barry Road, we used to have our Himalayan cat clipped at Dog About Town (Bellenden Rd). If your cat is relatively ok with being groomed, they are happy to take cats. I think the cost was around ?45. Since moving a few years ago, we now take our cat to Odile at Mutterly Gorgeous in Ladywell (Adelaide Ave) for a similar price. These breeds do tend to get matted fur quite easily. Also, my Himalayan has managed to escape from every collar we ever put on her, but she is at least microchipped. I can see how it would be frustrating to read your own cat on here. Maggie1, your cat must be quite the little charmer to pull on everyone's heartstrings. DH and I eventually adopted the local scabby stray cat from the back gardens b/c nobody else wanted him! xx

Could it be hormonal? Stress can affect your hormones. Some contraceptives can also accelerate genetic hair loss. http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/06/female-hair-loss-causes-treatment

Yes, that was my understanding too -- that everyone will have to have one eventually. I'm skeptical they'll really change much. :-/

We had a 'smart' meter forced on us my British Gas/Electric. They said that they were making system-wide upgrades, and we were not given any other option. There were also other problems when they changed our meters, and we left after a partially resolved dispute cost us loads of money. The smart meter is not foolproof, and it's not free. It runs on electricity that it draws from your home. The only useful thing I found was that it uses a traffic light system to alert you to high usage... in case we didn't already know that when you get home from work and need to wash clothes, bathe, run dishwasher simultaneous while running the oven and watching tele, you're using more energy than if you sat around in the silence, in dirty clothes, eating cold worms, listening to the rain by candle light. Our experience with the 'smart' meter was pretty 'stupid'. It's not a terrible idea in theory, but in practice it was crap.

here... http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,1112153,1113687#msg-1113687 or here... http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,1470224,1470309#msg-1470309

keekybreeks Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Kill everyone in east dulwich. go on, do it, kill > them all, kill them now. kill them in the face ...on toast.

You can ask for more settling in sessions where you stay with your child for some or all of the session. Some nurseries do this free. Others charge a fee. Some nurseries are more proactive about settling in, others not so much. But if you tell the nursery what you want for your child, they should be willing to work with you. They should not blame the child or try to coerce you into scenarios you feel are unproductive. xx

For removing soap scum, I've found that shampoo and loofa works pretty well.

Do you want to treat/prevent limescale, or to disinfect? You could try doing 30:30:40, surgical spirits (isopropyl alcohol):vinegar:water?

I clean with diluted Ecover. Probably not great for skin though, most cleaners are drying for skin. What about vinegar and diluted Fairy liquid in a spray bottle?

ruffers Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > If a camera is stuck on a pole people then I'd be > willing to bet people learn it's there, behave for > that stretch, and then just go back in the bus > lane. They certainly do for speed cameras. > > The idea of the cctv car seems to me to be to > catch lots of people, keep them on their toes as > they could get caught anywhere, and thus leave the > lane freer for buses. This is a good thing > surely? > Hmm perhaps one gains a different perspective if caught out unfairly by an automated system? DH and I once accidentally pulled into a poorly signed bus lane in Richmond when an ambulance came up rapidly behind us. We were ticketed by the automated system which didn't show the ambulance. We contested that the lane was poorly signed, and that we weren't blocking buses given the scenario. Contest was denied and we were charged the full amount. It was a lot of money for us. I was a student and DH had just started his own business. More isn't always better, is it?

Best of luck with schools in your new place, Bonfire2010! :-) xx

You might also want to consider a nursery near your (or your partner's) work. When I went back to work ft at short notice, I couldn't find nurseries near me with the days/times that I needed. I ended up finding a really excellent nursery by my work instead. xx

Check out www.uksafari.com. Labyrinth spider seems likely. Do you know anyone with a fibre optic camera? You could have a peak inside the web to see if anyone's home. Labyrinth spiders are not dangerous, so there's absolutely no reason to kill them. I've seen a couple of webs, but never the spider. I think they're quite shy. Good luck ever a glimpse of her! xx

Burbage Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > i*Rate Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I would just like a simple statement about the > > chemicals used by them on the streets as a > response > > to my enquiry. > > Allow me to make your day: > > http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200089/street_cle > aning/3621/weed_control Erm, but where does it list the active chemicals, and their carrier formulation? Or did I miss it? Maybe the page doesn't load fully on my phone...

ruffers Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > bobbsy Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > ed_pete, I don't agree with the CCTV cars, and > I > > nickname them spy cars. Per Ruskin above, I do > > agree that bus-lanes need to be kept clear, but > > would prefer obvious enforcement with tickets > > written and placed at the time of the offence > > rather than stealth enforcement with > infringement > > notices through the mail at a later date. > > Why? Because real people can exercise discretion and interact with actual other real people?

Volunteer at a local city farm, if she likes animals?

Tried to get tix to this recently, but they were sold out on the day we were available to go! :( Will try againg. I've heard such high praise of this show. :) xx

Wilf from William Frost Gardens is a great bloke: http://www.williamfrostgardens.co.uk/ I know he's really busy, and that he often works on larger landscaping projects, but if he's not free to come and give your leylandii a dress-down, he might be able to recommend someone. xx

Hi Skin_deep. So sorry to read all this. You say you will never forgive yourself, but please, please DO allow yourself forgiveness. As my mother says, "You did then what you thought was best. You do better now because you know better." It's hard enough making mistakes as a parent, without forever feeling like you can't forgive yourself. We've all done (or will do!) something that didn't work out like we thought it would. You've made steps to amend it for your child. I hope you can make steps to forgive yourself. Also, if you are really interested in fostering, please don't let this stop you. Fostering, especially, respite fostering is incredibly important work, and that fact that you methodically followed your son's situation, successfully defended yourself against a clearly false allegation, and have taken steps to help your son recover ALL show a real devotion to your child that would be valuable in a foster carer. If you are interested in fostering, just let your adviser know what the situation was, warts-n-all as the saying goes. Afterall, you haven't dones anything wrong! If your paeds psychologist hasn't already done so, would s/he consider filing a detailed report with Ofsted? Following through against the nursery with every shred of evidence of harm is very important, though I can understand you may not want to drag it all up again and again. I'm shocked that the nursery didn't sack the worker who made false allegations against you. In many other professions, this would would be considered a "fitness to practice" issue, and would be grounds for being fired immediately. Finally on a slightly different note, regarding yours and other comments about toys being snatched at nursery -- really experienced nursery workers are definitely clued-up to this. They know that the child who is crying is sometimes the aggressor who snatched the toy, and that s/he is crying because the first child has (rightfully) taken it back. I know this because I used to work part time as a nursery supply teacher when I was first at uni. I also have a close friend who was previously a full time nursery worker for many years. Good nursery workers are clued-up abou this behaviour, and they are sensitive about resolving it fairly in age-appropriate ways. They also take great care to help supply staff or new workers understand the classroom/nursery dynamics. So there's really no excuse for nurseries not sorting this behaviour out in gentle, fair ways. xx