candj

I agree with Mellors, try not reading the sordid details and go by your gut feelings of the nursery you will be placing your children in. I think if something dreadful was happing at nursery your two year old will certainly not like going in the mornings and you, with your mother's instinct, will be able to pick up on something like that. In any case, the chances of something terrible happing are very, very slim. Hope this helps. -C

daizie Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > 30 years ago, 13 year old physically developed > girls, sleeping with older men wasn't as frowned > upon as it is today. Similar to parents smacking > kids, no one batted an eyelid . The girl may have > been called a 'slag' but the man was not called a > nonce or a paedophile. The era is as relevant as > much as his status. It doesn't make it right, just > of its time . Crikey, I don't think that's true at all! 30 years ago a 13 year old girl was a 13 year old girl. Perhaps 300 years ago no one would bat an eyelid, or if you live somewhere like Yemen.

Any buggy will do really for Powerpramming. I used a Quinny Zapp which was great, but I saw everything out there from Bugaboos to MacLarens and no one was really struggling. You pretty much stay on the paths in the park and don't really go on the grass or rocky terrain! Also, as fmay says, you're not running all the time (if ever really) it's more like very brisk walking.

Agree with all the ladies above, and don't be hard on yourself. First time around, it was about 9 months on and 9 months off (with the help of breast feeding and also doing Liz's powerpramming class in the park), second time around it came off much faster, why? Because I already had a toddler running around that I had to look after along with a newborn. Just wait until your baby is on the move and you'll find yourself more active whether you want to be or not! I just dug out a pair of leather jeans from waaaay before any children were around and they fit perfectly, then when I jumped up in celebration, the button and zip both burst open with such a bang! Ho hum.

That is the most sensible thing I've read on this thread, Sophiesofa. Polanski committed a crime which he pled guilty to, but fled the US before he could be sentenced. Despite the fact that he is a brilliant director, has had some crappy hands dealt his way (wife and child being murdered, growing in the Krakow ghetto, mother dying in Auschwitz) it doesn't exonerate him from his crime. If you read the court deposition (available on google no doubt) of his victim it is utterly shocking. Polanski was very calculated in what he did, asking her to take her clothes off for a supposed 'photo shoot' and when she refused the first time he offered her champagne spiked with qualudes. I don't understand why people are trying to defend him... because it's been a long time so what's the point? If he gets away with it, it certainly doesn't send the right message to other criminals/paedeophiles.

We've gone to Ickworth House Hotel in Suffolk and it's fabulous for children. There are other hotels in the group in various locations, but this is the only one we've been to. I agree with Fuschia that Christmas may be really expensive. You can also try babyfriendlyboltholes.com to search for cottages. I've never used this website, but they seem to have loads available. Hope that helps. -C

We always stay at the Hotel Marignan in Paris. It's near to the Champs Elysees in the 8th. The park nearby on the Champs Elysees and Avenue Matignon (not Marignan) has the oldest Punch and Judy show for kids which mine have always loved. For grownups, the hotel has an Alain Ducasse restaurant and a really fabulous nanny agency that they use for babysitting (we always request the same nanny for babysitting when we are there). The hotel is quite swanky, but have always been pretty relaxed about children and the staff in the dining room/cafe/bar are really lovely. I find that all the restaurants on the Champs Elysees are easy for children and there is a Monoprix nearby for all the things you forget. I've noticed their prices have been on a steady increase over the years, but they do have deals through their website and we have also used www.hotels.de to find really superb rates for them. Hope that helps and have fun. -C

Hi Ladies, My little one is feeling a bit under the weather so will be giving this morning a miss. Hopefully see you next week. Fuschia, hope you are on the mend and feeling better! -C x

I should also mention that there are children on my street attending Dulwich Hamlets in the village so there is no rhyme or reason to anything.

Mellors Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I don't understand that candj - is it maybe > because it wasn't their nearest school (i.e. was > Goodrich closer for them?), or did they just fall > outside the 611 metres? No, they are further from Goodrich (we are on the other side of Heber). We are about 200 metres from Heber, if even. I just don't understand what criteria they were using because it implies that there are 60 four year olds living within 1 1/2 blocks of Heber, which is terrifying! Perhaps as Fuschia mentions that they applied late. It's all so bonkers really.

We are literally one street away from Heber and got in. The people across the street from us, but down closer to the school end did not get in. It's as if they drew a circle around the school and made their decisions based on that.

Good luck at Kings today and hope everything is resolved soon. Hopefully also meet up at the Horniman or somewhere on Wednesday?! Only if you are feeling up to it! Best, -C x

Moos, sorry I should have made my winky smiley face bigger. Sense of humour please! I didn't ask anyone to apologise.

Fuschia, poor thing. Is it mastitis? I used to get hard and very painful lumps that were warm when you touched them. I assumed they were blocked milk ducts so used to make baby nurse as much as possible (or use breast pump) while simultaneously pushing/massaging on the hard lumps. Very painful but worked every time and problem was resolved within 24 hours. Hope you feel better soon! -C

The Chinese government is not asking families to have more children, however, in wealthy cities such as Beijing or Shanghai, wealthy couples are paying the penalty fees and having more than one child. Also in cities such as Shanghai, these only children go on to higher education as they had all resources available to them, and in the end achieve high paying jobs and would rather work and make money than have to raise children (one child even). In Shanghai, the financial capital of China, it's all about the money. After some thirty years of 'one child' China's society is lopsided with the inverted pyramid effect where one child has to support two parents and four grand parents. They now realise that producing one (preferred) male heir and spoiling him rotten because he is the only one creates the little emperor who becomes self centred and has no interest in helping/supporting anyone, but himself. Furthermore, the little emperor has no hope in hell in finding a little empress as they don't exist or exist in very little numbers. It's a social disaster in Chinese society although Beijing will never admit to it nor will they change it overnight as it would be admitting fault and losing face. Ann is right, the one child policy did not apply to those in rural areas for labour purposes and does not apply to ethnic minorities (although China is doing its best in limiting these numbers in other ways). And you do hear horror stories of the abortion squads that would drive around in rural areas checking on people and forcing them to have abortions. I believe the rules are you must be married and 21 years of age to have children. One of the saddest things (among the many) about 'one child' is that the Chinese language has specific names for elder brother, younger brother, elder sister, younger sister, paternal and maternal aunts, uncles, cousins and grand parents and now there is a whole generation of people who will never have to use these terms.

I agree 100% with what Belle said. I'm not Catholic but my husband is and we decided to have our children christened back in Ireland at his family's church. We don't attend church here in the UK (we do when in Ireland), but it was something we wanted to do for our children and the christening itself got huge amounts of family together to celebrate a new baby in the family. Edited to add that I think it's more about a spiritual commitment to the child if anything. I do agree in theory with what ????s is saying about church attendance and naturally the priest would want to see the parent's commitment to the church, the catholic faith and so on and so forth, but saying it's some kind of middle class conformity ... come on now! ???? - don't make any sudden movements, open the door slowly and go back to the lounge. ;-)

I find it amazing that it's such a difficult thing to do here in the UK especially when the Catholic church numbers are dwindling. I've had both mine christened in Ireland (husband's Irish) and it was the easiest, no hassle thing to do. The priest just met with us the morning of and had us fill out some paperwork and it was done after the morning mass. We never met the priest before, but it was done at the 'family' church he was really relaxed about it. Sorry this doesn't help you, but I've known a few people to go to Ireland to christen their children.

Sitting on their bum on the step and going down one step at a time is what I make my 2 year old do. It's arduous, but I think it's safer for her as she's quite a big toddler. She once did the tummy method and body surfed (backwards) down the whole length of the stairs until she hit the bottom.

Ugh, the blackberry is so irritating. I used mine for a week (literally) and then threw it into a drawer. I recommend the iphone (esp if you use a Mac) as there are a lot of helpful features.* * sorry if this thread isn't really about mobile telephones.

Poor you! What a w*nker for riding on the pavement and then having the audacity to shout at you for being in the way (and with a baby). I must say that I too would have reacted in the same manner - although since having children, I do try to keep my mouth and temper in check because I simply don't know exactly how that person will react. Nice the white van drivers checked to see you were okay, as well.

I received an email from BA as we fly them regularly and it is only if you want to reserve an exit row seat in either business or first class that you can do so for ?50/75. Depending on what level you are with the BA mileage club, you can still reserve all other seats according to your booking and of course they would keep mother/father together with children.

We have the retractable ones made by Lindam and they work really well. We had to put a baton on the wall for the top to be secured to as the bottom was bolted to our skirting board otherwise it would have been wonky. It also took a bit of getting used to opening and closing the gate, but they work really well and the children cannot climb on them. Hope that helps.

I'm sure it's fine as it came out of your breast. I remember the nurses in hospital saying that our bodies filter pretty much anything we eat in breast milk except alcohol (and some medicines). There must of been something you ate, during the day that might have changed the colour slightly. It would be great for St. Patrick's Day!

I third Simply Childcare as we've just found a lovely part-time nanny and their website is easy to use. We have used Gumtree successfully in the past, but now it doesn't seem to have an abundance of nannies as before. You certainly don't need to go through an agency if you take the time to interview and do the work yourself. Here is a good thread to help you a bit more. Best of luck, -C

Hi, we didn't make it today, obviously, but would be up for it next week. Where is the Magic Moments venue, Pickle?