dulwichmum

Sean dear, Say "Dammit woman" again, several times...(swoon)

SeanMacGabhann said: "And prosecuting the McCanns? That says everything about the judger and nothing about the McCanns. The rest of their lives isn't punishment enough? You thing prosecution is some kind of deterrent or punishment? "Well I WAS going to risk having my child abducted but f*** it when I heard there was a jail sentence involved I thought better of it" I love you SeanMacGabhann - don't leave.

Narnia Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > DM, you may have missed the report on the Dulwich > kids. Boris wasn't in it. On London Tonight (ITV - sorry) they finished off the report with a big dollop of Boris.

He was saying that the parents should be celebrated... what an arse.

I saw it on the news and I think Boris is an arse. I wonder how hands on he has been with his kids. He was probably out every night socialising when they were kids and doesn't have a clue. No-one is saying children should not walk or cycle. This is about supervision.

PeterW, I am a very passionate woman, that is true (bats eyelashes). However sweet cheeks, I think it is you who is being hysterical. Who is suggesting that children should not be permitted to enter the outside world until they are 18? I think that perhaps 11 - 13 would be a suitable age for a child to go to school alone, depending on the distance and maturity of the child. I just don't see 5, supervised by an 8 year old as at all appropriate.

I really do wonder what the reaction would have been if this couple were working class and something had become of one of the children. As Narnia says "It would be nice to live in an environment where we wouldn't need to ask questions about the rights and wrongs of doing this. Unfortunately we do." My aupair was fined last year for cycling with our daughter on the footpath. Because of the weight of traffic in the village, it was impossible for them to stay together if the aupair cycled on the road. The solution for us was a scooter or walking. Most of the parents I know don't take their children to school by car, it is usually only children who come from far away. Don't forget that lots of people travel some distance (Clapham/Kent/Battersea etc) to get to the independent schools.

@David Carnell. You mis-understand me. The McCann's should be prosecuted for abandonment at least. What do you suppose would have happened there if they had not been white middle class? This is all about lazy parenting, not empowerment and exercise. My kids walk to school every day. Why can't parents take their responsibility seriously and walk with them?

James Barber Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > At that age I supervised my younger sister going > on errands to shops etc. > Road collisions were absolutely higher but traffic > was less. So it felt and looked safer but in fact > was more dangerous than now. > We were once accosted by a couple in town and it > took ages to escape them and their calling to god. > But we did. > > My kids aren't yet ready for this but if this > family feel ready and looking at Telegraph route > they take it looks sensible with lots of people > about then I'm glad it has been working for them. And if it had not "been working for them" James, where would the blame lie exactly? With the 8 year old, who due to poor judgement crossed a road at the wrong time? With the school head master or neighbours or other parents who did not question the parents judgement? With the parents who allowed these young children to cycle through a very busy area every morning unsupervised? With a local councillor who is trying to raise his profile on an online forum, but is simply succeeding in hi-lighting his poor judgement?

No doubt the McCann's thought that they were safe to leave Madeleine and their twins alone in their apartment in Portugal when the family were on holiday. If people use their common sense, they will seek to minimise risk for their children.

Loz Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > At this point, can I mention the oft-written > dangers of the child-snatchers dressed as clowns > in the Dulwich area? This is just not funny. Leaving little people, this young to make their own way to school, as reported, is lazy parenting. It is not about allowing children to exercise or develop a sense of responsibility. It is irresponsible. We live in London. Conveniently ignoring the dangers is neglect. Neglect is a form of child abuse.

Wasn't Damolola Taylor walking home from school alone? This is a huge city. In an ideal world our kids would walk to school alone to build self confidence, but what kind of a bubble do we consider Dulwich to be? My aupair was fined ?50 for cycling on the path last year near the traffic lights. She hasn't done it since. The law is there to protect everyone. These children deserve the protection of a responsible adult until they are at least 11. I make no secret of my love of Dulwich, but really now, the 8 year old should not be supervising a younger child. The school they attend allows kids to build a sense of responsibility. Neglect is child abuse.

I am genuinely shocked by the support for these parents. In my opinion this is a child protection issue. This is called neglect. Last Friday morning, not 2 miles from here, a 15 year old boy was stabbed and died outside his school. Last week here on the forum, I read that a boy in his early teens was prowling around near the kids play area in Dulwich Park. When I last looked, it was against the law to leave any child under 11 unsupervised in this country. At 5, my son could not cycle a bike. 5 and 8 is far too young. These children have a right to their parents protection and supervision. There is more to raising your children than paying the damn school fees. I wonder what the reaction would have been if this story had turned up in a different context, if something had gone wrong? Well done the headmaster. I think he is fabulous. This is South East London for Gods sake. Our children deserve our care and attention.

You should check out SE21/SE22/SE23 magazine. It has listings of all the local childrens activities. You can see the listings online too! http://www.semagazines.co.uk/

Lovely Narnia, Who is this Lar Cunningham of which you talk? I have been invited to the Gurgle Blogging awards at The Soho Hotel. I know that I have not won, I am simply going along to see if Myleen has a mustache, I have been wondering about this for some time... Jimmy two times, you are a complete scream. I seem to have been laughing all day today. Thanks for that. I ran a Wordless Wednesday Competition on my blog today, and the first person to enter (they left a comment) was a complete blinder. I almost dislocated my jaw laughing! http://www.dulwichmum.net/wordless-wednesday-13#comments

My husband always brings a travel kettle with him when he visits Lagos. The first time he stayed there, in a very upmarket hotel, he found a pair of pants in the kettle that someone had clearly been boiling and forgot about (OHMYGOD). Just sayin...

Darling Keef, I have been buying sunnies for kids for years, from everywhere - John Lewis, Biff, the supermarket, acutely aware of the damage that the sun can do to children's eyes. We just discovered the best sunglasses for kids ever - they are Polaroid! My kids love wearing them and they tell me that there is a huge difference in these and all the ones they had before. I was recently asked to review Polaroids myself, and I wasn't keen because I perceived them to be really outdated, but they are actually the best sunglasses I have ever owned - and really stylish too. http://www.polaroidsunglasses.co.uk/sunglasses/kids/index.htm They are anti-glare and block out all of the harmful UV rays.

Dear emsiemcb, I just thought I would suggest an aupair because, well, so many of us are not having babies in our ...er... twenties anymore, and to be honest, I do not enjoy the constant nagging to join them on the trampoline/let me paint your nails/come and build a playhouse up this tree - when I stumble through the door from work. I come in from work and my head is in a completely different place, I just don't have the energy for so many things (quite apart from the fact that I am lazy and self-centred). I came home last week and my kids had been making a red Indian camp with the clothes airers in the back garden and having a ball with our aupair who is actually old enough to be their big sister really. I just see an aupair as a great fun playmate that takes the stress out of the school run (if you get a good one).

ImpetuousVrouw Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What about helping out as a lecturer and/or tutor > at the uni to help fund it. That's what lots of > people in my old uni did. Contributing to the uni as a lecturer or tutor, in the current climate, is now often taken for granted for many Phd students. Even with full funding lovely Rosie, your friend will be looking at earning around 15K pa until he finishes his project.

May I just say, I think so many of those bags are just ugly. At best they are twee and vinyl - OHMYGOD! Really girls, you will be wearing huge knickers next. Where is your self esteem? Why not buy a nice big roomy dream tote and get yourself a set of buggy clips (they can turn any bag into a changing bag), a fold up changing mat (they did stock some at the Great Little Trading Company online) and a Very Important Pocket by Tentamar. You will still have a fabulous handbag when the baby grows up a little. The Mulberry Roxanne has more pockets than you would need for a set of triplets. Use your imagination. Breastfeeding bra's were almost the final degradation for me. Chin up, walk tall, fab bag and shoes. Knock yourselves out.

Yep, I think I saw one in the window of the children's shop in the village recently too.

Do you have any room for an aupair? If you get a good aupair they can introduce great energy and enthusiasm into your family life - and solve the school run and after school dilema in a flash.

I love to treat myself to lavish and expensive products, and recently reviewed a number of hand creams for a review I was writing. I tried several "high end" brands and actually, none were as good as Aveeno, cheap as chips.

Lovely LittleEDfamily, I agree with sillywoman. And even if what you speculate with regard to house prices being 300k more for a house in the village, apart from inflation (which increases the school fees every year), private schools fees become more expensive as the children move up through the years. We will have spent far in excess of 300k on education for our two by the time they reach 18. A bigger mortgage may be a struggle, but at least you have the equity in your house at the end. I am actually very happy with the decision we made. The schools are amazing.

Hi FionaB, I dont agree that it is often cheaper to pay school fees than a higher mortgage to move into the catchment area for the a good state school. I have two children, aged 7 and 8. So far, we have spent over 110k in cash on their school fees. On top of that are all manner of fees for music lessons, uniforms and school trips.