dulwichmum

Our eight year old has had three sets of gromets, I don't know if they are still in his ears now, the last operation was about three years ago. He has always been kind and gentle little boy, but was plagued by ear infections when he was a baby and would literally scream for 20 hours solid. He was on almost continuous antibiotics. I was horrified by the initial suggestion of glue ear as I had always believed that this was caused by smoking and neither myself or my husband smoke. I genuinely resisted the operation to begin with, but in the end, I was exhausted and very pregnant and I could not see any other way forward. Max had his first operation when he was about 16 months old, apparently by then, he had no hearing at all in one ear and only about 40 per cent in the second ear (when they told me that at the hospital on the morning of the op I felt so ashamed). The effect of the surgery was dramatic. Our son had vastly improved speech within days, no more tantrums, antiobiotics or sleepless nights. He was actually discharged the same day. I still have a photo of his gorgeous chubby little smiling self in his blue and white flannelet pyjamas from Biff in the village, going off down on the trolley with his tiger. Each time his behavior has deteriorated since then, it has always been that one of his gromets has fallen out and when it is replaced, the poor child is instantly back to his perfect self. I feel like such an idiot for resisting the operation to begin with. The baby was being tortured by the pain, it seems really obvious now. It is a terrifying experience, allowing your baby to have an anaesthetic, but they don't advocate intervention like this unless it is essential, your child will be transformed.

Mr Mockney! I salute you, actually, have a kiss on the nose you perfect man.

omniprescient Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > DM - did you go to the park via Starbucks for one > of your favourite vente lattes?? Yes sweetie! Well I sent my housekeeper actuallement, but you remembered (wipes tear from eye!)

*Glares at Omniprescient* I must say that I saw the BMF people in Dulwich Park this morning and it was a joy to watch! I love to sit on a park bench, sipping my coffee, observing while the fine ladies of Dulwich are beasted and forced to do press ups where my dog has just rolled in fox poo! I am physically perfect (naturally) and do not require exercise of any sort (sigh).

Dear womanofdulwich and curlykaren, I have to say that I was more offended by the voyeuristic nature of these tea parties than anything else. The intimate detail that was shared and discussed in front of the little children just made my hair stand on end. Even superficial chat like;"Look at the banger they expect me to drive, I could kill these children in that" was basically scary for the kids and undermining of the parents. I know what these nannies meant, but the bitching and comparing in front of the children... "look at the cheque in this drawer, she hasn't cashed it for a month but will not give me a pay rise..." Don't even start me off on what they said about the food in the fridge left for their meals. Some of the most outrageous snobbery I have witnessed in Dulwich has been from some nannies based on their own perceived status because of the family they work for. It is a sad fact that many of us have to work full-time with little children, I really adore my children and my job, but it would be so much easier if we had relatives to help - and believe me, I know that relatives are problematic too. I just don't see relatives as being so selfish and undermining. I will not leave a nanny in my home to play house while I am at work. Having said that, I know some amazing nannies, just super. You have to be meticulous about who you chose. I suppose that it is just like midwives, you can get a fabulous one or one who makes you want to throw yourself off a bridge!

stone or years?

I have to say, that in my experience, if you get a nanny who knows the area and has an established network of nanny friends, she can want to socialise with her nanny friends more than she wants to get your kids to meet up with the children they want to play with from nursery or school. Twice, when I was on maternity leave, local nannies invited me over for tea and then proceeded to invite the visitors to explore the family's home, even trying on the employers shoes. It was all very odd and uncomfortable. There is no professional register for nannies. Good nannies are like gold dust.

We spent a lot of money on a car bed for my son's second birthday but he had grown out of it by the time he was four and all he kept asking for was a "big boy bed". I hear good things about these bed guards

I know what you are saying thewinglessbird sweetie, but I had hoped for a little eye candy!

There is a lovely local lady called Kulwant who comes to your house to cook for your dinner party and provides a demonstration of how to cook the most fabulous Indian food. I went to one of these dinner parties about four years ago and I still cook her recipes now. They are fabulous. If you PM me, I will give you her email address, I can't find a web site for her but she still cooks, because I am still on her mailing list.

I have just returned from walking my doglet around Dulwich Park and I must say, I have been traumatised by what I have witnessed there (sob). Instead of the outdoor exercise machines being used by fit and perky people, going about their daily exercise routines in close fitting lycra, the various pieces of apparatus have commandeered by troups of elderly folk, who park their mobility scooters next to the various appliances and tentatively transfer on! They looked like some sort of Val Doonican flash mob. Dulwich Park will be a laughing stock: a middle class, elderly version of Muscle Beach, all M&S golf jumpers, react-to-light reading glasses and plastic rain scarfs. We simply must put a stop to this (stomps foot), or at least install a couple of those red string pull alarms so that they can call an ambulance if they break a hip. Couldn't we put special mesh on the grass around these machines to burst their tyres? It is all so undignified. http://www.linngroveiowa.org/MuscleBeach.jpg

Just five minutes from Paris and you will find toilets in restaurants and bars that are little more than holes in the floor. Their toilet paper will leave your nether regions covered in papercuts and the people do not wash their hands. France is full of the French (holds nose). Really now, whose quality of life are they assessing? Flies???

Any of the local garden centres. Which ever one is closest to you. They often stock special sand for sandpits.

Yes, Locale is really family friendly.

SE21 magazine and SE22 magazine have the definitive list of every parent and baby group for each day of the week locally. Check it out here and click through to page 19.

It is possible to take the good out of anything if it is over analysed. He is such a cute boy and he is just the best dancer ever. Don't you agree? Edited to spell analyse properly because I can't see what I am doing on my phone.

That is a really sad story.

I adore little boys. What is not to love?

Watch me, I'm smokin...(not literally, clearly!).

SteveT Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > A poor selection, is this really the best we can > do? I remember the sense of expectation when Labour got after the too long reign of the Cons, and it seemed to lift the entire country. This line up simply does nothing to inspire me.

Yes Phase 8 would do something nice for mother of the groom, but check out Eclipse on the same parade of shops too. There are some very pricey labels in there but also some really stylish not so expensive pieces from labels like Gerard Darel. Lovely shoes too. The Dulwich Trader is good too.

Lets put the Party back in Politics! Vote Dulwichmum.

I adore this. It stops me in my tracks every time. It reminds me of becoming a teenager, of falling in love for the first time, of discovering the joys of the school gates in Dulwich... It is my anthem.

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Interesting point, DM. > > I fear, from another thread, you are wrong about > plantation shutters. They are simply naff in > victorian terraced stock. As for Georgian, NO! I have been trying to hang up my poster in here since last night. It is so frustrating *wail*, the blu tack simply won't take the weight and I am not sure that my staple gun is appropriate. Please Mr Keef, could you pour me a cream soda?

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