nunheadmum

Nunhead - Cheltenham Road (keep going up Peckham Rye on the Nunhead side of the Common). Kind of want to keep it to ourselves as it's so good but Shona's done such a good job, she deserves to have the word spread!

Got the same problem. Bought a few bags of really nice beads from John Lewis and they can earn one for practice / reading / generally helpful around the house etc. When the jar is filled, there's the promise of a treat.....or could do when they get X number. The beads are really pretty so they like choosing. (Haven't worked out yet that the bigger ones fill the jar quicker - but sure they'll learn!!) They know the concept of pebbles / pom-poms etc from school so it ties in well. And depending on how big the jar is, they can get rewards quickly or work towards something more major. Also has the benefit of being able to take away a bead if they don't play by the rules!!

We bought some a couple of years ago for a holiday. Seemed to do the job. Not perfect under a normal sheet but workable depending on how long you use them for.

Decathlon have some good ones - we got the blue and red metal one for around ?30. It's really light - lighter than our older daughters Puky was, so better for our second when she was really young. And it had a brake too - which not all the balance bikes have and helps with the transition to a proper one. Given what we'd paid for the Puky, I was impressed. And I didn't feel so precious about it if we left it outside the park cafe etc - not that we've ever had any problems but you worry that big brands would be more at risk.

Poor you - that must be so frustrating. I think at this age (or any age between about 2 and 6), they can be so fickle and often for no apparent reason. Oh to be able to see inside their heads. I don't think you'll be able to force any reversal. But maybe try to show them how their current behaviour is making them miss out on other things e.g. maybe if friends are going to the woods then say 'Well, it would be nice to see XXX but they're going to the woods and you're too scared to go there.' etc. Don't make too much of it and do try to be understanding (or at least sound that way to them, even if you don't feel it). But keep retrying things every now and again but have back-up plans in case he's not ready to hit those rollercoasters just yet. On the being carried bit, I'd say be clear to yourself where your boundaries lie - how much you're prepared to carry him - and then be firm, saying no and explaining that he doesn't need to be scared of the dogs etc as you're there and won't let him get hurt. I found that my youngest regressed around this age in terms of wanting carried more. I think they do just go through a bit of a phase of not wanting to be 'big' any more and wanting to enjoy the good bits of being little while they can. Hopefully it'll pass as quickly as it's come on. Meantime enjoy trying some different activities. Maybe if you keep them boring enough he'll soon see his old games were more fun!

I think the gossip magazines are a big influence. I'd say that if you don't want your kids to get the message, don't buy the magazines that pedal it to get their readers! If you're interested in that kind of thing, you can't really blame the kids for picking up on the messages. And if you hide them, you'll only make them more desireable. It all comes down to living the messages that we want our kids to get. And that can be hard at times as let's face it, the bad things are usually more attractive!

Isn't Calpol Night the same? If Medised is off the shelves when needed. I'm sure we've used it with the same effect

There's another MacMillan coffee morning tomorrow at Ivydale School - Old School Keeper's House - from 9.30am.

Is there an email contact you could use - either one for the class / year group or even the head teacher? It may let you take time to phrase things in the way you want and also not have to face up to anyone in person.

The other side of the coin - I would love a bit more encouragement from the staff for my daughter to eat more at lunchtime but they don't seem to do it at our school. She's a slow eater too but often tells me she didn't finish her meal because she wanted to go out and play with her friends. But I'd love it if someone just encouraged her to eat a bit more as she's ravenous by hometime which I'm sure isn't good for learning. Over time I think she's getting a bit quicker as she gets older and realises the link between what she eats and getting hungry later but it's taken 2 years. It would be good to clarify at your meeting what the policy is and what may or may not have happened - leaving reception kids crying or on their own does sound harsh. But also bear in mind that school is a different environment and they don't always have the staff ratio to provide the support that we may have been used to in the nursery environment. Things do happen that seem totally wrong when you're new to it with little ones. I was indignant so many times in reception. But the kids do soon learn the ropes and what does and doesn't work - it's part of the process. It's really hard at the start but they're no worse the wear for it in the long term. (And I speak as a parent of a 6 year old who won't say boo to a goose, still can't open a cereal bar but I can see has grown in confidence in small strides due to controlled challenges that she faces at school that I would probably never have managed to set for her by myself.)

In the other thread on 'Harris Girls East Dulwich' Renata said "all year 11s achieved at least 5 GCSEs (A*-C) or more." I'm not clear then how this equates to DenmotherSmith's note that the principle said it was 67%? I'm not having a go at anyone but it seems like there are lots of ways that the stats are presented and therefore it makes it really hard for those of us outside the system to really make any sense of what we hear. I'm a good few years off having to take it too seriously but it'd be nice to be able to keep an eye on how schools are doing. But it's hard when there seems to be lots of way to present the info and therefore you can't compare what you're hearing without knowing the detail!

We'd to fill it in for free school meals which now all kids up to Yr 4 are getting. I agree it seemed a little strange as it's not in any way means tested. Probably something to do with monitoring, I suspect. Trusting the school to deal appropriately with the info.

Think whoever wrote that Channel 4 piece needs to go back and do their A-level again. The grammar in the first 2 paragraphs was awful - pretty poor editing by Channel 4! It put me off reading further. Sorry - off topic!

Jolly Phonics do a dvd of about 8 stories introducing the letter sound groups. A bit basic compared to cbeebies but my eldest loved them. She soon realised I'd put this on at times when I didn't really want her watching MORE cbeebies but as it was educational, she got away with it. She now seems good at reading - not sure if there's a link or not.

Could you offer to take the kids for a day out? Kids would love it and sure the parents would REALLY appreciate it!

I'd suggest maybe seeing if you can try someone's vest / armbands etc before you go. Different kids seem to like different things and it can be expensive and frustrating trying to work it out. Also see if you can clarify the temperature of the pool - heated isn't always the same as warm. (still shivering from our daily dip in our 'heated' holiday pool) What works may vary with the temperature of the pool.

Another fan here. I love having it round the corner. And love that it offers something different to the Cheltenham Cafe. Two decent places, depending on what I need.......just need a decent veg shop round there and we're sorted!

Do they have stock to buy on site or is it just a display for the mail/internet order function? I've bought from them online before. Just wondering if the shop is worth a visit if I want something quickly.

We got one of these when my eldest was 1 and it's the best bit of plastic in the house. Fills the roll of activity centre / helping them to stand, but the keys are a real octave of notes and there are number / colour modes too so it lasts longer than the standard activity centre. And there's a really catchy boogie woogie tune on the fast/slow key that gets the kids dancing. http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Babies-R-Us/Toys/Music-and-Dance/Laugh-and-Learn-Baby-Grand-Piano(0076487) It's not cheap but worth it - and as ours is 6+ years old, there may be some out there second hand. (Unfortunately ours is still in use so can't sell just yet.)

I'm sure I bought edible sparkle in Sainsbury's! They're catching up with the trend.

Like the idea if it being calm....or rather my eldest would. She tried the JAGS one but found it too full on - rugby really wasn't her thing! Will try Scamps next time around. Do they do things at half-term or is it summer only? We tried JAGS, Artastic and Crafty Cooks this year and Crafty Cooks was definitely the favourite. Hannah was great with my youngest (only 4) and there were games I understand and crafty stuff, so not only cooking. Just a shame that the full week course (rather than short classes) wasn't closer to home.

And I think you need to stay in clubs with the kids for the toddler clubs. We didn't use them as we booked direct with the French operators but the clubs seemed to go on in a big field with little else for parents to do if they were waiting with the kids. I'd second Sillywoman's advice to ask lots of questions. That said, we had a lovely caravan booking direct with more space than the Euro/Keycamp plots. The pool complex was the main draw for us and we had a reasonably good holiday - considering the kids were 2 and 4.5 at the time.

Freezer bags or compost bags? Potette bags also very good. All depends on age of child.

Yes, it's batteries. Will dig it out tomorrow and around evening or Friday all day. Hopefully lending it out will help my two discover that they love it! (In that warped logic kids have.) I'd like to move them onto a proper clock soon.

I measured small all during my first pregnancy, was on 4 weekly scans and delivered a totally normal sized baby - that didn't fit any of the small clothes I'd bought. I think they can be over cautious in mentioning ANY risk factor and they certainly made me over anxious. If you're eating a good, balanced diet then you're doing all you can. Try not to let it all worry you.