patt1980

Thanks but specifically need the Thursday 😀

Edited to change our requirements.

Looking for a nanny that can look after our nearly 4 year old on a Thursday from 07:30 - 2:30pm. The role would involve coming to us and helping get him and our 9 year old ready and breakfasted, dropping the 9 year old at school around the corner at 8:45 and then taking the little one to the playground/park/playing at home etc and giving him lunch. We are located near Goose Green Se15/22.

Nice to hear of kind people. I hope our husband is recovering well.

Yes I have raised it with them aswell thanks

My daughter enjoyed the freedom academy workshops when she was 3.5 yrs http://www.freedomacademy.co.uk/summer-schools-ages-3-to-6 She was one of the youngest though but it didn't seem to bother her.

Hi James, I just posted this on another thread about the new gym operators but wondering who I can talk to about the re-fit of the cafe Everyone Active have done there. They have installed two slush puppy machines, a milk shake machine and an ice cream fridge which I don't think at all promotes healthy eating messages to the large number of children passing through and personally think is unacceptable. Thanks.

I am also all for giving new companies a chance but I am pretty disappointed by the re-fit of the cafe Everyone Active have done. They have installed two slush puppy machines, a milk shake machine and an ice cream fridge which I don't think at all promotes healthy eating messages to the large number of children passing through there.

Hi Autumn babies parents, Hope you don't mind me writing in here but as your babies are coming up to weaning age I thought you might be interested in the baby led weaning workshops we offer in East Dulwich on a monthly basis. The next one is on March 9th 12:30-2:30pm at the Goose Green Centre and there a re a few spaces left. More info here http://www.littleoneled.com/workshops

Have a look for a Japanese Mandolin slicer -they have them on amazon or in any decent cookware shop. Do get one with a guard though as the blades are very sharp!

We had this with my daughter too and as the above posters say she did just grow out of it. Two things that helped for us were, 1. buying a load of cheap pants from Primark that I would just chuck rather than scraping poo out of which helped me psychologically and 2. a silly song I made up along the lines of 'Poo Poos live in the potty, Not in the pants' which we sang all the time in a funny way and which she loved and eventually the message sunk in (or she just grew out of it but both the above made it more manageable!!).

Great post, thank you for writing it. Nicola also saved my sanity last year on an EDF recommendation.

Thanks for sharing - very useful information.

I agree that one good tactic can be to apply for full time roles but with the caveat of wanting to do the role 4 days per week. If you can show that you managed your work load well in a previous role (did you get much extra resource when you went from full time to 4 days or did you just make the role work for 4 days?) and that you have a well set-up home system and childcare etc for working in a demanding role than I think a lot of employers would be open to it if they like the look of a candidate. If you can I think it it is easier to find a part time role directly with a company than through a recruiter, unless it's a part-time specific recruiter, as having been one myself I know they can tend to just want to fit a round peg into a round hole rather than push for something different. LinkedIn is a great tool for making speculative approaches to organisations so make sure to spend a bit of time updating your profile. I often recommend clients that are looking for part time roles (I am a career coach) to find jobs you are interested in applying for regardless if they are advertised as part time and then find the company and ideally person recruiting for the role on linkedin and send them a message saying you're really interested in the role but would they consider someone doing it 4 days per week. As an HR professional I am sure you know that top talent is hard to find and retain and I do think more and more companies are open to some element of flexible/ part time working but wouldn't necessarily advertise a role as such. Other useful resources for you could be Working Mums, Women Like Us/Timewise, Mothers Meeting (now have a jobs section) and really tapping into your existing network and connections saying you are looking for a new opportunity. Good luck. It's never nice being made redundant but I am sure a new exciting chapter awaits! Sophie http://www.themotherhoodbalance.com/

Thanks for the replies - the disposable table cloths on the floor sounds like a great idea.

I am leaving it a bit late to organise my daughter's 4th birthday party and I haven't really had time to source any tables and chairs for the 16 2-4 year olds to sit on! What have other people done for this for parties at home? I have rung around a couple of hire places but they are all fully booked. Has anyone borrowed tables and chairs from a church hall/school or anything locally or should I just go for the picnic on the floor approach? Thanks in advance!

Big sister got a medical kit as she had been very taken with the stethoscope and blood pressure thing when my midwife used to come and do it when I was pregnant.

I heard today that Little Jungle nursery is going to take over the building of what was the Amott road playgroup for it's 3-5 year olds with an added intake of 30 children. I have looked online to see if any planning permission was granted for these works/change but can't find anything. As I back onto the church I am slightly alarmed that what was previously used for a playgroup that runs from 9am -12pm during term time only is now going to be used from 8am-6pm 51 weeks a year with the associated noise levels of young children plus parking in the surrounding streets at drop off and pick up is problematic already and I think this will add to it. I have young children under 5 so am well aware of the need for more nursery provision in the area however I am concerned that it is being done without the necessary infrastructure changes. Do you know if they'd need planning permission for something like this? Also I am not sure if this falls into your ward so if not which councillor should I speak to? Thanks.

My CM does wrap around care for my nearly 4 year old and looks after my 17 month old all day. I purposely found one near my daughter's nursery where she goes from 9am-4pm and so i drop both kids with CM at 8 and she takes daughter to nursery and picks her up and then I collect them at 6pm. I pay ?80 per day (?55 for my son all day and then ?24 (?8/hr) for my daughter) and sometimes she'll have her all day in holidays and I just pay the extra to top it up to a full day. I do also pay for nursery though at ?40 per day so all in it's not the cheapest option I guess.

My daughter was also v reluctant to poo in the toilet misse22 despite having been 'dry' for 6 months or so and would go off and do it in her pants. For us it was about a couple of things; having to ask for help at nursery etc with a poo where as she felt comfortable taking herself off for a wee (V independent!), also she was impatient to sit on the potty or loo for the time it would take for it to happen as she'd rather be off playing. We ended up sitting with her in the loo and teaching her that sometimes you have to wait and she could sing a little song or something whilst waiting and made a game of it. It took a couple of months but she got it by 2yrs 9 months i'd say.

I rate their dressing up stuff too Otta and find doing Click and collect and picking up from Rye Lane Asda works well and saves on a trip further afield or postage.

My 1 year old recently dropped down to 1 nap so can't always last till after lunch so most days he goes down around 11:30-1:30/2pm. My eldest used to nap initially 11-1 and then after about 18-20 months she fell into 1-3pm sleep. I still go to say a 10am class with my 15 month old and on those days he has a decent size snack on way home and then lunch after he wakes up to give us more time out of the house.

Thanks for that feedback Kristymac1 - may well give it a go then. x

Re Whippersnappers - does anyone know if you have to pay for babies/toddlers? I'd like to take my 3 year old and just turned 1 year old but don't want to fork out ?18 for the 1 year old who'll have no memory of it nor able to do much!

We have this problem in our bedroom and I saw a tip on mumsnet to use a Karcher window vac on the condensation (we had one already for cleaning windows) and it's working well at keeping the moisture at bay although doesn't do anything long term I guess but it means no mould yet this winter.