nunheadmum

I have some money from last year's advent calendar which was meant to buy presents for the collection at church. We missed the collection so I thought I might get the kids to donate the funds online to a charity to help them get the concept that not all kids in the world are as comfortable as they are. But when I look online, a lot of the resources (videos etc) are aimed at the heart strings of adults and a bit too full on for sensitive kids. Does anyone know of any good sites which explain the issues in a child friendly way (kids are 4 and 6)? I've tried broaching it but I think seeing a video or something would work better.

Keep an eye out for any school fairs still going on - they'll often have a visit from Santa. There were a few this weekend just gone but there may still be one or two around. Or maybe church fairs or other such community events.

Ivydale School Christmas Fair and Market on Saturday 8th will have members of the Nunhead Choir joining us for Carols around the Christmas tree at 3.15. Participation welcome but not mandatory!! The Fair runs from 1-4pm - lots going on in addition to Carols. Do join us!

Have you tried the Yuk books by Matt and Dave. Two stories in one book, several books. You can get them in Cheners in ED. The authors did an event in our school a year or so ago and now my almost 7 year old (girl) loves them even though she's not the kind to be in to muck and 'boys!'. Not deep books but enjoyable - maybe more the level a 7 year old could read by themselves if they're reading well. (Could be totally wrong on that - hard to know how kids develop in terms of what they can read themselves.)

Afraid that took me to a log-in page. I suspect it won't be applicable but thought I'd have a look.

On the working for anyone else, could you find a half-way where it's allowed provided you let them know - and I guess there is some right of veto if you're working for someone e.g. in direct competition. I can see that such a clause may be fair whereas an outright ban is unfair. And on the extra hours, are they likely to call on that clause? I think employers tend to write things like this in a contract to protect themselves should they need it (and on advice from laywers) but in reality, they may not really have any intention to call on it. I think a lot of these kind of clauses are put in contracts to protect employers in worst case scenarios - not necessarily because they have any intention of using them in the normal run of things with a decent employee. But once in a standard contract, I doubt that employers would be very willing to amend them as it would mean that different employees are employed on different terms. So it may be better trying to get to the root of how they anticipate the clauses being used, rather than trying to get them changed. Challenging them could get you off to a bad start.

Great - thanks. Hopefully we'll be there in good time so should be okay.

Has anyone parked around the Natural History Museum on a Sunday - is it residents only or is that suspended on a Sunday? I'd normally go by train / tube but given the proposed temperature on Sunday coming and the fact that we've got a rediculously early skating slot, I was thinking that a warm car on the way home may make the day more pleasant. But don't want a stressed dad, trying to find parking that doesn't cost the earth.

Smashing - we've got a list here and a little girl who's gagging to send it. Trying to make her realise that she may come up with more (better?) ideas if we hang off a bit but she's not having it.

If a young kid has a bad cold, weepy eyes might just be the cold - not conjunctivitis. (Apparently the various bits in the head are so close together in a little one that it comes out both ways.) Our GP never prescribes drops in these circumstances and our nursery accepted the explanation - although we usually had to go to the GP to prove it wasn't anything more. Simply bathing with warm water if the lashes got stuck after sleep usually did the trick.

Farmers do small plastic tables that sit one each side. Not sure how well they go together to make bigger tables (i.e. as per the picture).

Via another mum at Ivydale - hope it helps. Tuesday 10-12 Stay & Play (Drop-in). Wednesdays 9.30-12.30 Childminders Group. Thursdays 10-12 Muslim Women and Children Group Thursdays 1.30-3.30 Stay & Play (Drop-in). Other sessions to be added shortly.

The Monkey Music cd's are great. They've got us up and down to Scotland and back and forth to Cornwall......all the way! Also have a Party Songs one that we got in Mothercare that goes down well. Lots of them are best for your sanity if you're going far.

I know that our school (in Nunhead) is always looking for parents/carers etc to volunteer to help with things like reading - suspect other schools do too. Most of the school PTA's would also probably LOVE a pair of extra hands to assist at the Christmas events, either on the day or with prep beforehand. GooseGreen PTA often post on here - maybe you could contact them. Or simply pop into your local school and ask.

If you have the space, get full singles. We went with a toddler bed for our 2 girls and while they are nice when they're little, I can't help but think of the money we've wasted now we're about to upgrade. And the bedding for smaller beds is less common and so more expensive. While we had toddler beds, kids slept at Grandma's in normal singles with bedguard and never complained.

Yes, we had lots more in mouth than hands/feet. Just hope you don't get it too if it is. I suffered 10 times more than my kids!! Worst thing I've ever had.

Could be Hand, Foot and Mouth disease - is there any sign of small ulcers in her mouth or small red spots/ulcers on her hands or feet. The mouth can be quite uncomfortable if it is this. Not a lot you can do for it, I understand - it just runs it's course over a week or so. Calpol / Ibuprofen for the temperature and any pain and ice-cream for the sore mouth/throat. Better to get it checked out by a GP to be sure.

I understood (a few years back) that vitamin drops were being given due to some mums / kids not getting enough Vitamin D. If you are breast feeding and get out and about, you should be getting enough sunlight and hence enough Vitamin D and hence your milk should be fine. Similarly formula milk should be giving the appropriate dosage needed. I think it was being given generally in a preventative way rather than trying to target those who specifically needed it. Not sure if guidance has changed - my youngest is now 5 so maybe someone could update?

I did email the school and they've said that they don't ask the kids to do anything like this. So, if they do try it elsewhere, send them on their way. I was going to do the same as you Pickle - I don't like the move via Just Giving etc that encourages folk to donate up front, regardless of whether you do the activity or not. But when the charity mentioned and the name on the sponsor form didn't tie up, I didn't take it any further. To be honest, unless I know the people involved, I'd usually tell anyone raising funds door to door that I'll give my funds direct to the charity. It was just that they were kids, I felt a little more guilty about not encouraging them.....had they been authentic.

They were kids so clearly they weren't doing any kind of formal fundraising - so asking for licences not really going to solve much. Buggie - I was thinking of emailing the school too. If they are doing something at the school, they need to prep the kids better. Not sure though what they can do if it wasn't really from them. But would make me feel less like I'd just been tight if I knew for sure it wasn't from the school!

Just had 2 kids at our door saying they were from Charter school and had been asked to choose a charity to raise funds for. Having given me a rather unconvincing spiel about Wateraid, she said she was doing a 600m sponsored jog and gave me a 'Children in Need' sponsor form. I passed at that point. Does anyone know if Charter are asking kids to do fundraising? The kid in question came across more as not very clued up rather than a scammer but there were just too many things that didn't add up. If they are, maybe the school needs to give them a bit more input about what they're asking them to do and how to do it!

Have bought shoes at Push for my daughter and definitely felt she got a better service than at Duo Dance in Herne Hill.

Another vote for Annabelle. I reluctantly bought one as thought they didn't need to talk. But Annabelle is quite realistic and my daughter has loved it for a few years now. We've got a bucket of dolls and it's the one that always gets played with (and coveted by No2!). I haven't bought any accessories - maybe just my daughter but she usually just wants the original babygro or can use other baby cast offs.

Ivydale Primary in Nunhead are having a Christmas Market on 8th December 1-4pm. We'll be selling mulled wine, food and a cafe and there'll be some more traditional stalls and kids activities and, of course, Santa will be there. If you're interested in having a stall, please contact Frances Pringle on [email protected].

The school won't like it (officially) if you take them out as it affects their stats and is hard to say 'yes' if it's skiing but 'no' if parents just can't be bothered to bring them in (in extreme cases). But at that age, what's more beneficial to them.