nunheadmum

I got this back in the summer and I was amazed just how much my 4 yr old was into it. It still seems to hit the spot with kids even though it's a different league to cbeebies.

Mine too....we had her birthday party in the pub (Herne) - she was sooooo happy!!!!

My 4.5yr old daughter has one of the V-tech ones with the mouse and it hardly gets used. The screen (looks similar on the one above) is nothing like a proper computer screen - it's tiny. And the activities are really hard to navigate around, I find. I'm really not impressed with it - but maybe she'll get it more as she gets older. I would probably tend towards getting a proper cheap laptop which probably doesn't need to be that whizzy to do basic games and try to teach her to treat it with respect - rather than getting the kiddie ones that can be thrown around more. I think she'll get more use from it, longer term.

Fuschia - not sure if it would be the same person as books came from Nunhead library? Yes, I imagine the library pay more than Amazon costs. Seems a shame if they aren't making the money go as far as it could but then, I imagine lots of small book suppliers depend on libraries and the likes to stay in business....and don't really want to see Amazon taking over the world.

Thanks Ruth. I'll call them and check it out. I suspected they'd have preferred suppliers etc. Mellors - I really don't mind replacing the book. It was one of my youngest's favourites when she was little so I'd sort of feel bad if others didn't get to enjoy it. I think I just feel so bad as it was our first trip to the library and doing this just isn't the way we normally treat books. DD1 is so good with books, most of hers still look new. I've got to get used to DD2 not being of the same mould! Maybe if I smile sweetly they won't make me feel too much like a bad mother of selfish kids who don't appreciate their books.

Much to my horror, my youngest tore 2 pages out a library book yesterday. The book was on it's last legs but we certainly dealt it the final blow. Does anyone know if you can simply give the library a new copy of the damaged one or does that mess up their systems? I can imagine Council departments have budgets and processes and a simple nice new book could over-ride X number of controls and not be allowed. Or maybe they'll just say thanks very much for being honest and appreciate a new book. Anyone know?

FYI - Yes, lane swim down one side, shallow end Jelly Babies and deep end sectioned off as general swim. Sessions didn't seem to be timed but got full and folk seemed to be waiting at reception to be told when there was space to go in. Oh and Jelly Babies starts at 10am NOT 9.30am as per all the published timetables. Not clear why this is. Organisation doesn't seem to be a strong point but the pool and facilities themselves seem lovely.

Yes, it's strange how your perspective changes on so many things once you have kids!!! Now it's a day of constantly thinking, it says X time but it's really X +1 to the kids, but got to start moving them to new time so nap / meals will be at.....arrgghhh, too complicated when sleep deprived. And then Halloween kids will start arriving just as you do dinner and bath (since it's now darker earlier), just to disrupt things further. Now I understand why my parents seemed constantly grumpy!!!

Does anyone know how it operates on Sunday am with lane swin, jelly babies and general swim all on at once? Are Jelly babies and general sectioned off? I don't need the Jelly Babies session but with little un's, don't want to be forced into the deep end where I can't stand up. Also are the sessions timed? Thanks!

The Horniman and the aquarium there is probably just as good at that age as the one up town.....unless you've seen enough of it already and want to go further afield. If it's just the 3 of you and you don't get that so often, maybe try not to do too much or you'll spend so much time getting there and back etc that you won't have time to enjoy being together.

For that occasional lazy afternoon inside, I think the Cbeebies website and games are great. The games are all educational (way beyond the stuff I'd think of doing myself usually) and teach them computer skills which they will need much younger than we ever did. I've resigned myself to the fact that my kids will be more into computers and games that I'd like them to be, probably whatever I do. To that end I try not to avoid the games totally but rather use them within a range of activities - like you, for those quiet afternoons. Our nursery does it too - when the younger kids sleep, the older ones are allowed sometimes to do educational games on the computer. (Not every day though, so it's not an incentive not to sleep.) I've noticed too that Leapfrog are doing a hand-held game option which of course they show with all these educational games (not sure what the full range is). I'm toying with the idea of one for Christmas. Part of me screams, nooooo...it's the first step to the Nintendo DS or whatever. But my eldest (4) is sooooo into her letters and numbers etc and I don't really have as much time as I'd like to spend with her - it sounds tempting to let her have her own way to engage with learning that she can control herself. But I'm totally torn on this too.

Do they do swimming lessons - or is it for kids at the school only? First I've ever heard of them so guess it's the latter.

But isn't there a cap on the amount you can use as a week's pay to calculate redundancy - if we're only talking Statutory? Depending on what level your pay is at, there may be no difference between being 3 days or 5 days, the cap brings it down to the same amount anyway.

Have to echo Pickle re BMF - it's much easier than you imagine. I am sooooo not the typical exercise person - I've been crap at sport since school, can't run to save myself, liked the idea of BMF but thought it'd be way too hardcore for someone like me......a year on, I'm still doing it and really enjoying it. Ok I'm the blue bib at the back of the group every time they go running - but it doesn't stop me enjoying it. You can take it at your own pace to a certain extent so if you're on a good day, you push yourself or a slack day, you hold back a bit. The instructors are great I find at judging where you're at and whether you want a push or not. Richard is lovely. Yes, it is getting cold and muddy but there's something nice too about not caring about that - let that Mummy Pig in you come out and jump in that mud!!

Not sure what age you're talking about but Beckenham Spa have classes from age 3 on a Monday - goes up to older too. The women who run it are great - kindly but do teach the kids some discipline too within the bounds of waiting their turn, following instructions etc. There are usually a few boys in the younger class.

Sounds like you're doing very worthy work and lots of respect for taking your kids too. This kind of thing is hard enough at home - I dread to think what it feels like in that environment and without the failsafes you have at home. I'm no expert, but I always go for kids dinner at 5pm. It probably depends what time other meals are at - we do lunch at 12. I do find that if they get over hungry, they eat less and are much more fussy. Afraid I'm of the approach that I put it on the table and if they don't eat it, I don't offer anything else (unless I know they're getting over being ill or I've messed them around on timings or similar). I try to offer one thing a day that I know is a sure thing - you mention pasta or eggs in your case - but then the other option is take it or leave it. In the early days I did allow a desert of something like yoghurt or fruit regardless but a regulated amount that wouldn't be a meal in itself. The other approach I sometimes use is that they can have bread and butter if I think the meal was something they really didn't like - but I try not to let it become a habit. I think the thing is that they are so quick to pick up on any doubt or weakness on your part and use it to their advantage. It always feels to me like I need to decide on my approach (somehow balancing tough mummy and nice mummy, not always easy!) and then stick with it - being consistent helps. I think we sometimes overestimate just how much they need foodwise to survive. I remember my mum being told by her GP in the 60's that he'd never heard of a young child starving itself - they're programmed to survive. But they will try and survive their way, if they can!

Sounds like you're doing well with weight watchers. It sounds like you're doing reasonably well with the exercise as it is. If it helps, British Military Fitness do a class in Dulwich Park at 8.30am on a Saturday. I know you said your hubby isn't great with the kids but I find that I can do this one while hubby has a reasonably relaxed time - all he has to do is get the kids breakfast and dressed by 10am so it's not so pressured. And, provided it's not raining, the park at that time in the morning can be lovely!

i have one too that could probably do with being used! I'm Nunhead based (as name may suggest!). Halloween costumes??

Last couple of years when we've had little ones in bed, we've just put out the remaining goodies with a little note saying 'Kids in bed - please help yourself' or similar and we're never disturbed. And we've always had goodies left over too - which surprises me!

Cheesy macaroni mince when I was little - now reborn as lazy lasagna in our house. Layer cooked pasta, mince, cream of tomato soup and cheese and bake in oven till cheese is browned. My mum went through a big phase of using soup as a sauce - still can't eat mushroom soup without expecting to find fish in it!!

Would thoroughly recommend Night Nannies. Used them with my second when she was 4 months and was sooooooo glad I did. It really helped her sleep and gave us the confidence to deal with later issues as and when they arose. Not cheap but probably the best money we spent in those early months!

How about the Naturecare ones - they're made of biodegradable corn starch or similar though do have the absorbant grains so not 100% eco. I always found them quite nice - I agree on your comment re Huggies. Both of mine used Naturecare and never had more than a few back-leaks.

I do miss the 'old' version we had in Scotland - all the kids dressed up and had to perform their party piece to get their Halloween......cue lots of bad jokes, awful songs etc. But it felt like more of a two way exchange. And with the traditional call of 'The sky is blue, the grass is green, may I have my Halloween' it had a much mellower edge than 'trick or treat'. And we used turnips (swedes) rather than pumpkins. Not sure which is easier to hack out!

If you want to reduce your income a little to come under the limit being imposed, I understand that there are other salary sacrifice options other than just Childcare vouchers e.g. training, other benefits etc. It may be worth discussing with your employer if some of these could be feasible. I know in the past there was quite a lot of scope on what could be included - I'm not sure if it's been tightened up at all. But worth looking into if some of the costs you pay yourself could go via your employer and hence bring your income down to the required level. Or perhaps finally get that professional qualification at a net cost of nil once it's all taken into account!

How about the Herne barn? Expect it would seat at least 20, got the climbing frame for the kids. You can decorate the barn as you like on the day.