Saffron

Same thing you do if you're currently on a 1-year contract? All the contracts I've seen recently have had a 2 month notice clause. So, if you have to vacate the residence prior to contract's end, you must give no less than 2 months notice to the landlord, from the 1st of the month or whenever your rent cycle starts. And if your landlord will not be renewing your contract at the end of one year (or 5 years, etc), they must give you notice at least 2 months prior to contract's end. Apologies, I've probably not worded that very accurately, but maybe someone else can describe the legalese better? Hope I got the gist of it?

And here is a link to Prof Exley's 2013 article, also as referenced for background data from the Guardian piece: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/13/162 From the discussion section...

Yes, motorbird83, it's the same article as the link LondonMix posted, which is referencing some of the background data discussed in the Guardian piece. I've just extracted and high-lighted some of the relevant quantity-based data, in case anyone is have trouble following the link / doesn't have time to read the whole article. xx

Gwod, I think the suggestion is that there shouldn't be ANY aluminium in formulated infant milk. Aluminium is not found in cow's milk in the levels observed herein, and it isn't knowingly added by formula companies, although higher levels seen in soya-based formulas may result from relatively high Al content of the plants . Therefore aluminium is considered a contaminant in formula in this context. The dispute is that the scientists who published this recent work are saying that we've long know that there is aluminium contamination in formula, so companies should be doing more to avoid contamination or to actively remove it. Whereas, regulators are saying that these levels are 'acceptable'. If we look at it from the point of view of being a contaminant, then I have to say that I wholeheartedly agree that it remains 'too high', particularly in light of the fact that aluminium is not found in breastmilk in concentrations anywhere near this (eg, 30 ug/L breastmilk, vs. ~400 ug/L formula milk). . . . . . Burrell and Exley (2010). BMC Pediatrics.

Jo'sEnglish Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I wouldn't recommend chlorine-based bleach. One of > my cats is obsessed with chlorine (can't get her > off me when I've been the pool!) and I googled it > once and apparently attraction to chlorine (and > therefore bleach)is common. Haha, yes that's true. One of our cats loves to sniff and knead my hair when I've been to the swimming pool. Although thankfully never had a wee in it!! ;-) Although she has been known to poo on Hubbie's pillow if something displeases her. Mrs TP, you haven't changed your brand of litter recently? Some cats can be very picky about the type of litter they prefer, particularly if they're feeling nervy. Glad to hear it's not a urinary infection. Hope he's back to his old self soon. xx

That's interesting, but what does it mean in reality? Home owners will have to renegotiate their mortgages, then pass on the expense to their renters who are easy targets with their new longer contracts? Please tell me I'm being pessimistic. As long as London has a rising sellers' market, it's hard to see how this is anything more than a cup of coffee on an ice berg. Though if it helps even a minority of renters it must be a good thing?

It's ammonia-based cleaners that are not recommended for cleaning cat urine, as the urine produces ammonia. So the logic is that to a cat this may still smell like urine. Chlorine-base bleach would be fine, but it's not really that nice for pouring all over surfaces like a fixed mat. One alternative might be fresh coffee grounds mixed with essential peppermint or lavender oil, or tea tree oil. Sprinkle moist coffee grounds liberally with the essential oil, then rub them into the mat. Vacuum them out, or brush them away when they dry. The coffee grounds help to eliminate the ammonia odour, and essential oil discourages the animal from weeing there again... although that's not to say he won't wee right next to it. Cats can be very stubborn! For indoor carpets, use bicarbonate of soda powder instead of coffee grounds to prevent staining, and for the essential oil try using black pepper powder. If you're not upset by the 'eww' factor, you can also try strategically pouring some of your own wee (or some used litter from your cats' tray) around the perimeter of your garden where you think the other cats may be entering.

London living wage is around ?8/hr, and minimum wage is just over ?6/hr. Expect to pay more for a more experienced nanny, or a nanny with special qualifications. A nanny share might be a good way to save money. We currently do a mix of private nursery/nanny. I find this gives us good flexibility and value for money. Good luck! xx

The Albany in Deptford does children's parties. We saw one last time we were there for a show. It looked really nice. I'll be thinking about this for my daughter's birthday this year. She's a January birthday. http://www.thealbany.org.uk/visit/40/Parties-and-Functions

Blue food dye is not toxic. But if your neighbours are already known to be unfriendly, then maybe you don't want them to figure out it was you. Diluted vinegar and water would be a more effective deterrent and wouldn't leave a trail of blue over the fence. It's non toxic, and won't harm the cat but they hate licking it off. More effective than plain water. It's unlikely a cat would attack a healthy tortoise. (I've owned both for many years. ) Particularly if the shell looks chewed, this was likely a fox. But a cat might have been more likely to investigate the injured tortoise. All of my tortoises have had long runs to protect and corral them. Except for one who kept trying to escape, so we let him go. But he decided to come back! Tortoises can be happy in a large enough pen. If you or anyone else takes the errant tomcat to the vet, they will scan him for a chip. It seems unlikely he will have one since his owners haven't neutered him. But if he does have a chip, the vet cannot neuter without the owner's permission. Xx

Nipple shield? How old is Baby?

Old thread but interesting for current views. I don't differentiate between day/night pay. I'd pay closer to ?8/hr and also provide dinner, eg pizza. For teens, I think it's fair to pay for their transport home at night. You want to make sure they got home safely at night in a reputable taxi. We usually have adult babysitters and expect them to make their own way home, unless some unusual circumstances. Also, it's nice if the babysitter is first-aid trained. In which case ?5/hr is way too low, IMHO. I was first-aid trained as a teen when I did babysitting. It's just a useful skill to have in general, and a good way for teens to build confidence.

BLW is very versatile and can be adapted to suit any dietary need. xx

We did BLW, but I had a lot of nice recipes from the Annabel Karmel cookbook for babies and toddlers. I skipped the recipes with purees, and I jazzed up the toddler recipes for grown-ups. Her recipes are easy to follow and easy to build on.

Hmm interesting :)

There's a montessori nursery in Ladywell, and a primary in Greenwich I think.

dildals Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > That's good to hear because this kid LOVES to > breastfeed. > > What made me think about it was Holly McNish's > breastfeeding video which is doing the rounds on > FB. It sounds like she had quite a few bad > experiences but it seems that this is the > exception to the rule. > > Ladies, you will be pleased to hear I will be > getting my boobs out in public! (Although, may > draw the line at the fried chicken shop, respect.) :)

Yay, it seems crazy doesn't it? Particularly shocked at Keane's post about the school trip accident! My LO is still in nursery, but this is definitely something we'll be asking about when we look at reception/primary schools for next year.

mysticmark Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > A) Can you recommend somewhere truly excellent > with enthusiastic fun friendly staff and a lovely > safe environment? > B) Do you happen to know somewhere that is at > least very good that has places for 3 days? > C) Do you know rules about changing nursery having > signed an agreememt? Would we be in danger of > losing our 15 hrs/week funding or not? > > We visited Mother Goose, First Steps and Piplings > before - all apparently v good - but there are so > many and of course everyone smiles and puts on a > fab show for visitors and we really cant screw up > again! > > All advice hugely appreciated > > Thank you Sorry I can't recommend a local nursery, but if you work in central London, the Montessori nursery near Waterloo Station is excellent. My daughter has been there for a year, and we're all very happy. When I was looking for nurseries at the last minute last Autumn (returned to work with short notice when an excellent opportunity arose), I found that a lot of private nurseries had days available if you can be flexible about which days. The rules about changing nurseries should be in your contract with your current nursery. For example, I think our nursery requires a standard period of notice. I can't remember whether it's one month notice or two, similar to terminating a rental contract I seem to recall. I think the 15 hours of free-funding is then cancelled for your old nursery, and your new nursery will have to re-apply. So I can't see that there is any big problem with that. The funding is a grant for your child. The old nursery no longer can claim it once your child is not enrolled. That should free up the new nursery to claim the grant in your child's name once she's enrolled. Do speak to Southwark Family Information Services if you have any questions. In the past I've found them very helpful and supportive on the phone. Good luck. xx

Agreed, phone calls/Skype could go either way. It might depend on the age or temperament of your child, or also on the time of day (don't do it if they're overtired in the evening!). Little Saff was upset by these at first when she was younger. Now that she's older (3.5 yrs), she actually asks to call/Skype people that she's missing. You probably have to test the water a bit to know how it will work for you. Maybe better to try on the morning before your return? Also, if you have to be away more than 1-2 days, try leaving a series of letters from you. One to open each day with a little note and a treat like a sticker etc. It adds an element of routine that includes something from you even though you're not there. xx

Depends on how your house is set-up. We don't use them anywhere except the kitchen where the worktops make a 'bottleneck' from the open-plan dining area to the kitchen. They've been very useful! Of course even if your set-up is different, you still might want them, b/c who would want to be known as the aunty whose table corner gave Little Nephew his first black eye?!? I got mine form MotherCare. There is one in Lewisham, and one on the Old Kent Road. Both pretty easy to get to by public transport. xx

keane Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > No, if its a regular primary school they don't > help with toilet atall well not in nursery at my > children's school. If they don't or can't wipe > properly they just come back with poo everywhere. > Personally I think there should be some help > offered as they are only 3! > I remember losing the plot one day when my son was > in reception on a school trip & another child had > an accident in her pants & the teachers & > assistants weren't prepared to clean her up. She > would have stayed with poo in her pants for the > rest of the trip had I not volunteered to get her > cleaned up with wipes I had with me and disposed > of pants in bin and put trousers back on (luckily > she was wearing trousers) & reassured & comforted > her, then I rang the mum who I knew, to let her > know that child had had accident & had all been > dealt with. When I took it up with the school > health & safety was the reason given for their non > intervention - world gone mad in my opinion. I would dispute that last bit very strongly if I were the parent of the child who had a toileting accident. Leaving a child in his/her own faeces is a form of neglect, and should be reported as such. This is also a health issue for other children (and staff!) who are then exposed to faecal contamination. Schools may balk, but they are obligated to find ways to deal with these issues. If we just accept it as 'normal', nothing will ever change.

When you come back, are you able to have a special day with her, or plan a special activity? So instead of just missing you while you're away, she'll have something special to look forward to when you return? Then she starts to associate your trips away with special treats on your return. Also could you Skype with her while you're away? Or send her messages?

I thought schools/nurseries weren't allowed to exclude on the basis of toileting issues, b/c it's a form of discrimination. Children develop different abilities at different ages of course. Aren't they obligated to find reasonable ways to accommodate children who require additional help with toileting?

How much diastasis is 'normal' postpartum? I definitely have a gap, but it doesn't really show. However I have a lot of lower back pain, and at 3+ yrs postpartum I'm still not convinced my pelvis is aligned very well since rotating during pregnancy. I had a physiotherapy assessment 1.5 yrs ago, and no one even asked about or checked for diastasis. And I had no idea until recently that this could be linked to back problems, although I had back problems pre-baby. Hence, curious how much diastasis is normal?