mysticmark

Hi, with sales on I'm looking to buy a digital (electronic) piano, particularly for children to learn on; anyone have any advice on makes, models and where to buy? Have around ?1k to spend. Thanks

Hi, if anyone has some advice on this I'd be very grateful. We're looking to buy one for kids to learn (eldest 9, youngest 3) and mum to rekindle skills. Everyone Ive spoken to has strongly recommended their own one and not known abut other types :)

If u do push on just recarpeting, make sure boards are fixed properly and that the best -not shop bought - underlay is used.

Proper sondproofing aint cheap, but is certainly demanded in new conversions - I know cos did it recently. In older conversions I have no idea sorry about regs. Start with contacting council, or discuss with neighbours directly. Dont do what some friends did and still do: grin thru far too polite gritted teeth and bear it. Good luck.

Thanks to all, especially Maxxi - inspirational. ;) Bad dose of manflu (a cold) - isnt it always? - and lack of pleasure in anything much took me to the (not that) dark side for a wheeze, which coincidentally Im doing a fair bit of. Names like that, the urgency for bread sticks and the nanny being sent running I thought would make it crystal :o Spin doctors maybe don't have too much of an uphill struggle in teaching folks the benefits of putting our lives in the hands of war-mongering, arms, healthcare and education (and the rest) profiteering corporations, and of course ignoring climate change. Rant over - back to boozing. Cheers! 'May our kids have rich parents' :)

Josh-Luke, 3, and Gabriella-Bettina, 2, have just given thumbs down to nanny Malgorzata's home-baked twirls and humus; any retailers sell their staple organic oregano breadsticks she can run to collect from?! Help end domestic stresso! Ciao for now :)

Hi, we moved to F Hill / ED 2 yrs ago but have kept daughter now 9 in school in C Palace where she has so many friends and its a great school; but she had alread been there 3-4 yrs when we moved. Not the best drive every day but it becomes a routine, and she's happy.

Thank you bith Gina and Gooders, excellent stuff! I'll be ordering some asap; she's a big girl for her 3y3m so I better hurry if I go with le petit bateau, which I like v much, but 3 little ducks seem fun too and I can get a bigger size; I'll have a chat with them and see. Since 2 fantastic helpers, how about I deliver some cake to each of your addresses? If you pm me your addresses I should be able to do delivery tmro day (doorstep ok?) while looking after the madam in question with wife at work :) Mark

My 3-yo girl said she'd love some yellow dungarees and ive been sciuring the internet - zero. Apart from waterproofs and heavily branded ones. Anyone who can recommend a shop or send me a link for some simple yellow denim dungarees for her gets some cake / wine delivered to them - genuine offer.

Thx for all advice - we've 99% decided on Piplings in peckham rye. We liked the small groups work, enthusiastic friendly staff and general air of a well run place; and the house, garden and location are a knockout.

Hi, not cheap, in fact #*##*# pricey, but Piplings East Dulwich - Peckham Rye in reality - has spaces. The house and garden are lovely, and surrounded by the park, where kids are taken for walks. More importantly, when we visited in April / May we were impressed by the small-group work with young enthusiastic staff. We're probably switching our littlun to there for 3 days a week; she'll be working down a mine the other 4 days to pay for it ;)

Hi Unfortunately the state nursery our 3yr 3m old daughter has just started at (in F Hill, would rather not name) is well below our expectations in terms of it being 95% free play (aimless wandering, quite risky physically too) and 5% uninspiring focus time, and apparently low-motivated, tired staff, among other things. Basically seems like a big playcare, but with no fun songs at all! Though Im sure time and some new friends would definitely improve things, those and more points are so basic and unacceptable to us and we are sure they wont change. We feel v silly now not to have gone with some of our instincts from visits rather than ofsted data, assurances from staff and our own money-saving - that altogether made us believe any doubts were probably misplaced. So now, having relaxed about nursery since early summer we are suddenly desperate to find sthg. We are now thinking a private nursery 3 days a week; even just 3 days is a huge ouch financially but bullet-biting time it seems. Concerned also that having agreed back in May that state funds for 15 hours would go to current place it might be hard to rearrange - havent mentioned anything yet. We would really appreciate any suggestions after this big disappointment. We are based next to Horniman gardens, moved here 18 months ago, and are able to drive a bit if necessary - as far as Goose Green ish say. A) Can you recommend somewhere truly excellent with enthusiastic fun friendly staff and a lovely safe environment? B) Do you happen to know somewhere that is at least very good that has places for 3 days? C) Do you know rules about changing nursery having signed an agreememt? Would we be in danger of losing our 15 hrs/week funding or not? We visited Mother Goose, First Steps and Piplings before - all apparently v good - but there are so many and of course everyone smiles and puts on a fab show for visitors and we really cant screw up again! All advice hugely appreciated Thank you

Thing is, 'unlikely' isn't really enough of a reassurance when dealing with a risk of precious child / toddler being scarred or worse by untrained / badly trained dog. On dog fights in London, one of many articles: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/mps-warn-of-londons-illegal-dog-fighting-epidemic-8496685.html On horrific dog attacks just try googling "dog attack" .uk 2013 ; I just did. Of the 80,000 results from 2013 of course there are many repeats of the same stories, probably around half or possibly even more ?, but clearly those that say 'there is nothing to worry about' are not basing their opinions on fact on this subject, or perhaps mean that they can defend 'themselves'. My intention was purely pragmatic in seeking a practical emergency recourse and thanks for those practical answers (though not fully satisfied in their worth, thanks a lot anyway); honestly wasn't to interfere with people's ignorant bliss or to stir up chatter by drawing judgements, but that's all part of the fun of the internet. We're looking for a dog ourselves, a sprollie hopefully.

I absolutely love dogs and my children are smart around them, but as people will be aware there is an underground dog-fighting thing as well as just crap.owners who by using violence teach their dogs violence. It is thankfully true that only very occasionally have I come across scary dogs that have made me keep my kids very close and look for exits / barriers, and its also true that there aren't dog attacks reported every day. But - often enough to be in the back of my mind especially when Im with my most precious children in a zone where there's a possibility an incident may occur with some fool with a dog brought up on violence. So far below the safety level of toddlers wearing helmets on scooters, say, to make me seem Im paranoid and have it in for dogs? I dont see why. Just wondered if anyone had gone as far as carrying some kind of emergency thing that works, obviously without harming the animal either - Im pretty sure even the illegal pepper spray I first mentioned doesnt blind or kill!

Hi, I know pepper spray is illegal to use, still for sale on amazon, but what, if any, emergency defence do other parents have to protect your children from a random attack from a badly (or maliciously) trained dog? Was searching online, but when I arrived at ARM BRITAIN NOW I decided to quit. Mark

Anyone know? Or other bright ideas for my 3 yr old this morn?

Pls say where, my littlest, and me, wud love it, thx :)

As in cootchie cootchie coo perhaps? Thanks all for excellent recommendations. Spiral staircase down to cave sounds very Bond villain :) Hope all of you enjoy a great summer break, a change from "Jocasta thats not your Yakult" scenario, and the traffic and fast pace of life maybe too. BTW - still looking for fab long lunch venue in/v near Hereford, where kids can play and all can eat, drink and chill. Thx again

Thanks, love to know meanings, how on earth is it pronounced please? (Im half welsh but no lingo unfortunately)

Carlo is honestly excellent, not cheapest but top drawer; usually busy, say Mark Paxton primary dad shared: 07930 316291

Lollipops - always a smile-bringer anyway, are especially helpful on long flights; having 3 little monkeys, 2 with my Japanese wife, has made that one clear. Plus a fave blanket and cuddly. Bon voyage!

A very good local relationship counsellor, who was helping me and other half through a combined knot of issues worsened by post natal depression, reccommended a lovely book called "The Incredible Years", which has a very 'seize the moment', loving and practical outlook. The title says it all imo. Best wishes :)

Thanks S. Only other change has been hot weather which started at a similar time; certainly affected her sleep on some days. Anyway guess abundance of patient listening and explaining is best, just not always oreferable to be honest when doing other things, like about to go out with rest of family, but guess all part of rich tapestry :). Thanks for reassurances S

Off West on Wed for 10 days. 2 nights in Hereford then a week in a cottage near St Davids SW Wales. Hereford - what must sees? Nice restaurant (kid friendly) with a view (river?) for lunch? St Davids and around? Any special recommendations? (Me, wife and 2 girls - 3 and 9 - going) Thx

Hi I could scrape a bit of dodgy japanese out but the struggle involved is harsly worth it! I live the idea of a chat-fest and tried to do something similar in a previous workplace. From the thread it seems the difference in levels would cause some real issues, unless you have some ingenius solutions? Im married to a Japanese lady and we have 2 lovely girls. Oldest -9 - used to be semi-fluent but now answers mum in English 90%; 3 yr old is less affected by English environment and happy to natter away dreamily in Japanese, as well as her own invented words! Ive tried to have an impact on elder daughter by pushing us all to speak Japanese together, but my own difficulties and older dauguter's made it so unnatural. Guess thats the only way though, including games, stories etc. Cheers, M