nunheadmum

Lottery isn't the solution. Kingsdale is a lottery and look where that gets us. Harris Girls is a lottery and now local girls in Nunhead aren't getting a place. Basically unless all schools are good+ or there is a glut of places, some kids will end up in schools that aren't good or better. Horrible if it's your child that's caught. But the small consolation is that the chances are, a good child in a school that is struggling to improve (particularly one with the might of Harris behind it) will be picked up and given all the help they can, to show what the school can do. And waitlists do move a lot up until the start of term and beyond. I hope you get a solution you feel happier with.

Which dentists have left? The dentist I was seeing definitely wasn't focused on 'beauty' which was perfect for me.

Thanks for all the ideas. We've settled now on something in Croatia. Can't believe how expensive everything is....puts all the more pressure on getting it right. Keeping my fingers crossed now!!!

Thanks for the ideas - I'll look into them. It's the eternal problem of trying to keep everyone happy. I really should book what suits me on the basis that I'm doing all the legwork!

We all like the independence of self catering house / villa holidays but we'd love to have other kids (ours are ages 11 + 13) around so we keep our sanity. We've done caravan parks and French gites but want to try something different. Kids really want to fly but can't be too hot. Anyone got any suggestions that don't cost Mark Warner prices? I feel like I'm going round in circles!!!!!

There's a rhythmic gym club at Harris Girls/Forest Hill school. https://www.gymnasticselegance.co.uk/

I don't think a full scholarship is a guarantee of a place - but it increases your chances and I think most kids with full scholarships get in. But I don't think 2 half scholarships (e.g. half in music and half in sport) are the same as a full scholarship in one. The single full scholarships trump the halves. I think.....Kingsdale is never easy to be certain about!!

If you can't get any from the school, try the Nunhead Parents Network on Facebook - I'm sure there will be some second hand ones out there that parents will be glad to find a new home for. Or on here too. Alternatively the school isn't so hard line on uniform so I'm sure it won't be an issue if they go a day or so with a non-uniform top until you get one. Might spoil the 'first day of school' pics though!!

My 12 year old loves The Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore and The Spellslinger series by Sebastien Castell.

We have a tray with some cat litter topped with straw and they tend to do most of their wees in there. We have them out a lot and don't get many wees these days. We have fleece in their cage and a fleece for them to sit on out the cage - gives a bit of protection if they do anything (mainly poos). But then our two are big and incredibly lazy, so don't move around much. Earlier on our two did like climbing on top of their sleeping area - we had a carrot topped box from Pets at Home which they loved to jump on and nibble. But not massive climbers I've found - but that could be because they're quite big piggies. (Unlike our hamster who is a ninja in comparison!)

If, like us, you feel bad about keeping animals in small spaces, you can look at this stuff for setting up runs around the garden for them. (www.runaround.co.uk) And if you find a way to stop the kids turning the house into a barn with straw everywhere - can you let me know the secret! If you're getting a second one and have the opportunity to introduce them to more than one, do. We didn't get the chance and had a rough few weeks worrying that they hated each other - and a few scars along the way. Luckily they've come through it and are like a couple of grumpy old men now. Very sweet grumpy old men.

Thanks Hazel. That sounds like a bit of a crappy deal. Guess we'll be waiting till Sunday then!

Anyone know if you buy advance tokens for e.g. Friday, can you use them on Sat/Sun? The kids want to go and we want to use the advance purchase offer, but not sure which day. Ta!

Can you ask someone to waive their rights if you are negligent? That sounds like something that wouldn't hold up in court to me - although I'm no lawyer. I always thought that negligence is one thing you can't get out of. If the well maintained equipment fails for some freak reason, there may be a case. But I would have thought that any accident that was down to negligence on the part of the operator would be clearly their fault and no bit of paper would get them out of it? That said, it sounds like a well run operation who have simply included the paperwork that those who know about this stuff and advised them, told them was required.

If you can go out of school summer holiday times, you'll probably find it much calmer for little ones - and cheaper! Also if you book direct with the campsite operators, you often get better chalets and cheaper too. But then you may not be with other Brits around you - depends if that's a plus or a minus. Sorry - can't recommend any ones specifically.

Can any employment lawyers (or HR folk who know) clarify : if your contract says X number of days plus statutory bank holidays (and nothing re how bank holidays work for part-time, just that annual leave will be pro-rated), does the employer have to add the BH's to the annual leave and pro-rata it all or can they pro-rata the annual leave and just give bank holidays if they fall on a work day? I've always known it to be the former but the temp HR manager where I am now was trying to tell me it could be the latter - as if we had scope to decide. As this question has come up and forumites are usually very helpful, I thought I'd ask.

It's also worth checking if the school has any rules about dyed hair. I worked in a school which had this to avoid kids making statements with their hair. While highlights and similar changes may go unnoticed (can be debated whether they should!), a major change like blond to black could spark a reaction.

Kristymac1 - yes you go on the waiting list of the school regardless of borough. Happened to us last year - we're in Southwark and Sydenham was our no 1. Still on the waiting list a year on! (But v happy with no2.)

Hi. In the end we've gone back to a gite in France. Nowhere else seems to give the same mix of company but private space. SLad - no I wondered for a while too what they were. A gite is essentially a holiday house in France - originally rustic but often now much slicker. Often there is more than one on a site - e.g. conversion of old farm buildings. You get your own house but share facilities like a pool, play-area, games room etc. Often they will be in quite rural areas but sometimes local bakers etc will call in the mornings. It really varies what is offered and the standard of the house / facilities but generally we've found them to be good. We like the fact that you get a bit of private space but where there's more than 1 gite, it usually means another family with kids. If the kids hit it off, it makes for a much easier holiday for the parents. It is hit and miss who you get - unless you go with friends - but we've never had an awful time. If you search for Gites in France or the region you are interested in, you'll get an idea. This site lets you search for places with more than 1 gite. http://www.cheznous.com/PropertyComplexes.aspx

Can't beat Minecraft. I do like how when the kids get together they interact with each other and teach each other - either around one tablet or across several in the shared worlds. Maybe a bit old-school these days. But ours don't get too much tech and therefore aren't so blase about it all. (Though be warned, it does lead to watching others playing it on YouTube....but they do learn from it.)

Thanks for the ideas. Not quite found the perfect option yet though. Portugal looking the best option so far. But struggling to find something with other families around for kids to make friends that isn't an apartment complex with not a lot of private space for us. I'm trying to work out if somewhere like the Canary Islands or Sardinia would be too hot. Am I right thinking that being islands, they stay a bit cooler? Anyone got any advice? Always get myself in knots trying to get the perfect holiday for everyone. One year I'll just book what I fancy!!

Thanks for all the ideas. The boxing sounds great - Daddy can come too!!

The annual hunt for the perfect family holiday begins again! We've done gites in France for the past few years and it works well for us. We like having a few families around for the kids to make friends and also a bit of personal outdoor space is great. But we'd like to try a different country, probably still European, keeping the social gite benefits if possible and somewhere warm but not too hot (a max of 25-37). We're not keen on high density resort accommodation - something near a smaller village/town is more our thing. Can anyone suggest anywhere? Gite accommodation transported to another country would be perfect but I'm struggling to find the right thing.

Thanks Goldilocks - I think Parkrun would be too much in one go for her. And being at the back of the group to start would be too disheartening. My encouragement usually falls on deaf ears and ends up as an argument. But I'd love to work up to it with her. Zobellina - Yogarise sounds good. I agree that more parent + kids options would be really good. I've often thought that an outdoor BMF style session, maybe based more around games would work really well. Or just a really informal, anyone interested meet e.g at 10am on a Sat in the park for parent and kids running around games. But the professional side of me starts thinking of issues like responsibilities, child protection, health and safety etc - not to mention not having the sports background - and I grind to a halt. Any more ideas most welcome!

Can anyone recommend a dance / fitness class that would work for me to do with a 11yr old (yr7) daughter? My daughter won't do anything without a friend and as I want to do something too, I thought it might (!) be a way to encourage her to something. Any recommendations for classes that accept adults and older kids?