EDmummy

Reluctant to add to this as I am reluctant to add to any post about childbirth, home birth and Kings. One 'flat line' baby who barely had a Agbar score (is that the right name for it) who started out at home and two births where birth weight was dramatically under estimated nor appreciated by home midwives. Every birth is different! I envy those mothers who had dreamy deliveries in their own home but I greatly appreciate and respect the amazing professionalism I experienced at Kings. I get your point but I feel that you may have given the OP a bit of short shrift. I still do not talk about my experiences because even after a number of years they are still raw. This forum feels like a place that things can be shared but perhaps others will feel that they will be judged if they do so.

Went to a great pool party for 4 & 5 year olds at Beckenham Spa but tend to agree with others that 3 may be a bit young. If you want water involved and want to risk the weather, how about a picnic at Sydenham Wells. Problem is, it IS a risk. One of mine has a birthday in the middle of summer and the last few years it has poured! If you are looking at bouncing castle option then I prefer JAGs to Harris Girls because they help you with setting out the food and cleaning up (a god send when I had a 4 month old in my arms).

I think this shows that children are far too pigeon-holed. Sadly, I find this is happening from the point they join any state primary school (my only experience). I refuse to allow them to under or over estimate my children. They are talented individuals in their own right. The system straight-jackets them but with good parenting this can be overcome. I never wanted to feel at odds with the education my children are receiving and want to support them in achieving want the system allows but I also want them to be individual and sadly this can only be overcome at home. It is all so complicated!

I am also 'guilty' of opening mail not addressed to me. In my case, the letter was offering a student a place on a course. I visited all my neighbours in the nearest vicinity and asked them if they were the person it was addressed to with no luck. I then sent the letter back to the university letting them know that the address was wrong. I hope I didn't do the wrong thing but I felt that ignoring it would have been worse.

Wow, what an amazing list! Agree that perhaps you could split things up a bit. With my first one I was only in hospital for 12 hours after birth. Would have been a bit excessive to take all those things. Second time I was in for a week. Wasn't prepared but sent hubby on trips home and to Sainsburys when I ran out of things.

@James, that is a little disingenuous of you. A deal with Labour would have been incredibly unstable purely because of the numbers. Thankfully, some of those in the Labour camp recognised this.

Well done, goosegreenpta. Great post to welcome new parents.

That has made my morning. Holed up with a stinking cold but have managed a hearty laugh.

Aaaah nature, got to love it. Last summer or autumn I saw about 8 crows chasing a very low flying, injured, seagull down our street. I was with children so didn't keep watching to the point where the crows bought the gull down but it did make me feel quite ill.

@bil some of the things you mention are completely outside local authority capacity so perhaps keeping the focus on what can be influenced at local level is a better way to look at things. Create a relationship with your local councillor (whatever colour) and try influence from the grassroots things that are important on a local level.

Not that it probably helps but...craved seafood with first (who is convinced he is a pecsatarian and won't eat red meat) and fruit (esp strawberries) with 2nd. 2nd is not very fond of strawberries. Not sure that tells you anything. At least you are not craving coal, although crunching on ice was very nice.

Not sure how this works then. Looking at the results currently posted it looks like Lab slightly ahead but my ward has still not been counted. Holding breath.....

Good luck in finding them or getting new copies. I understand how important this is to you if you are first time parents. Lets all keep an eye out for them!

@??? this is new politics now (so the BBC are telling us). I'm trying to be positive about what this means locally until I am proved otherwise.

When is Southwark going to call..... About the only thing left to excite me post election now.

Oh poor you, SB. I remember this so well. I have never been a good sleeper so having children tipped me over the edge at the best of times. What eventually helped me was just to stop worrying about not sleeping (this took me quite a number of years to develop and slipped back after No. 2). I still wake about 8-10 times a night (only one or two of those induced by the children, at least one induced by the birds outside my window or planes). I used to use a mantra (meditation), I also used to design my "dream house in my dream location" but I never, ever thought about 'not sleeping'. I am now able to wake up and drift off relatively easily, even when a fidgety 4 yr old climbs into bed around 5am. Keep strong.

Would you like book as well? Will see what else I have got.

@James Barber, I also know some very excited Heber kids. Unfortunately, they will not be as excited to learn that we will be short a few hundred pounds because I cannot work that day! Many countries around the world hold their elections on the weekend. Why can't the UK?

Will the forum expect the political threads to respect the same embargo the press are expected to follow in the day of the election?

Moving to second bag for paper recycling! Also had way too many from the Lib Dems. The the Lib Dem candidate is the same Cllr who has been part of a council that has caused a lot of stress to parents of young children, no?!

My oldest cried everyday at drop off for over 1 1/2yrs. Didn't grow out of it until second term of reception. Feedback I received from his carers was that he stopped very shortly after I was out of sight. Doesn't make it any less traumatic and even now at 9 he is still quite sensitive to new situations. Youngest one never had a problem and has only started to get ever so slightly clinging at drop off now he is in reception. If you are very worried talk it through with his nursery. They usually have some suggested strategies. My thoughts are with you as I know how stressful this can be for both of you.

My sanity...

I had one until I was about 8 or 9 then it disappeared. My oldest had one until his adult teeth grew. Perhaps this is why the suggestion is that you wait until about 8 years old.

Mamma Mia, sisal is natural and moths love it! You need polypropelene carpet on the stairs if you don't want the moths to eat it.

Did similar to SB about sleep, worked for one, not the other. The dust etc is baby behaviour.....and it is just the start. Enjoy it rather than being worried about it and make sure the house is baby proofed (no small mouth size objects but lots of spoons and other objects that he can put in his mouth). Baby proofing doesn't tend to work when you have more than one but make the most of it now.