nunheadmum

Can anyone suggest a nice place to take a well behaved almost 7 year old for a pre-concert lunch around the Cadogan Hall on a Sunday? It's just the two of us and looking for something that's a bit of a treat. Doesn't need to be a big meal but would be nice if it was somewhere that would be nice for me too - and ideally not somewhere that we need to take our chances with the crowds, given that we have timed commitments. It's possibly not worth the effort and I should just take her to McD's. But like to think I've tried!!

Isn't there some logic that if a school is seen as being a good school, kids with engaged parents who have encouraged them to do as well as they can will be more likely to be applying to it - hence a greater number of academically able kids who achieve in the top band. So many different aspects to consider. Is any 'tactic' really going to help? Horrible to think you need 'tactics' to get your kids a good education.

Does anyone know if the morning 7.31 from Nunhead is back to 8 carriages yet? I avoided it all last week just in case as 4 carriages was almost impossible to get on. But the alternatives aren't as practical.

My daughter introduced me to this one last week - apparently they use it at school. http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/moonmaths.swf

There were workmen in it yesterday. The floor was looking much drier. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Would love to know if there are any younger groups around for girls - age 6-7? Or girls and boys - although I'm not sure my daughter's skills will get a great response from keen players! A good dose of football skills training needed.

Has there been any discussion of attendance at the Harris Primary giving preferred entry to the Harris Secondaries? It's not in their current policy but then I don't think the Harris primaries have started having kids of age yet to feed into the secondaries. Just wondering if this was discussed at all with those looking at the primary?

I had to fill the form out online, print and then scan it back to be able to email it. But depends how much you write whether it will all show when you print it. Maybe better to fill in the basic bits, print then write on your comments and attach an extra sheet if it goes over. But not exactly an easy form to complete. Have to respect though the fact that I accidentally sent a blank form and they did get back to me to alert me to it.

Too late for this year but for those in Nunhead, St Anthony's and St Silas on Ivydale Rd/Merttins Rd do a lovely Christingle/Carol service aimed at kids - this year it was at 6pm on Christmas Eve. Very welcoming.

Sorry for late reply. Will need to check exact height but I don't think ours was any more than 2m before we started. I think if you're 1.8m tall you could feel it's tight. My husband is 5'8'' and he feels that it's neat. The back room is much better. I guess it depends on who would use the rooms.

We've just done our loft and we're probably nearer 1.95m and that was with all the tricks of the trade - but not lowering ceilings. I'd say get a few companies round and see what they say. We had differing opinions from 'it's not possible' to 'of course we'll get you over 2m'. The thing to remember too is that they may be talking of the height before it's fitted out - the insulation, plasterboard, floor, carpet etc all take up precious millimeters and affect the finished space. So try and make sure they're as clear as you can get them to be about what they are actually promising.

I looked at this last year and a friends kids advised to get a normal Wii - they thought the Wii U would be too complex for young kids. I have to say the old one is enough for them although they aren't the most tech savvy kids. I guess the Wii is cheaper and you can pick up old games relatively cheap. Then once they kids are up to speed in a couple of years, you can get the latest version at that point.

Are Clarks shoes generally a half size bigger than other standard brands? I.e. if my daughter takes a Clarkes 10, what size will she be in other bog standard shoes? A relative wants to buy her a pair of M&S shoes as a present and asked her size - but don't want them to be too big and I know there's always a conversion issue with Clarks.

In the run up to Christmas, I often try to find an excuse to take them to a big toy shop (looking for something for someone else usually works) and try to see what they respond to. It sometimes costs me a small bit of tat at the end but can be helpful and gets something more on their Christmas list than what they've had pushed to them via TV adverts.

Thanks Saffron. I'd love a cat and so would the kids but eldest is allergic. I think my youngest is pitching her ask at a level she thinks may be more successful - without realising that size doesn't necessarily correspond with ease of care!

Can anyone tell me roughly what's needed for keeping a fish - kit, cost etc. My youngest is desperate to get one (would like a dog / cat / hamster but is pitching her ask strategically!). I know nothing about keeping them but if we did get one, I know I'd want to do it right.

Sadly I don't think that's so uncommon. At Ivydale I often feel the same. Although I must add that it's got an awful lot better than it used to be and I think the school have listened to parents and made an effort. I think a lot of that has come from parents getting involved and driving new channels for parents to be listened too - such as the Parent Forum. Ultimately though I think the school is busy with the business of teaching the kids and direct their efforts where it will have the maximum effect on the kids, regardless of how engaged their parents are. But for parents who want to be engaged, it is frustrating. Have you tried speaking to the head? I've found a genuine attempt to understand the issues preventing better communication can get a better response than a complaint. Also are there ways around it? We started up Facebook pages for each year and often use them to share info specific to the year groups. It's a sign that communication has got better that the groups gradually have become more social than school info oriented.

If the children are at school, it may be worth checking if lessons are available in/around school time. My daughters do lessons this way and it is a little cheaper. Also for younger kids, they offer shared group lessons on some instruments - which can be a cost effective way to try the instrument.

I haven't done it myself but as I deal with HR, I'd say the key thing in applying is to try and see things from your employers side and present an option that addresses as many potential problems as possible. If you show that you have thought about them, if they're reasonable, it tends to rub off. It helps if it's a job where you can split the job load cleanly or if not, it helps if you know the person you'll be sharing with and know that you have good communication - and ideally can cross over for a period of time each week. Others who have actually done it may have more practical advice. It probably depends a lot on how flexible your employer tends to be in their general approach.

Waterloo Plumbing hit the mark - a great range and helpful salesman. Thanks for the recommendations.

Are there any good bathroom showrooms nearby that have a lot of stuff on display? (I've tried Bells already.) We just need to get a feel for what features do / don't work for us. Also does anyone have any good tactics for going round these kind of places with kids (6 & 8) and not getting grumpy all round? Or does everyone resort to a well charged phone and lots of games?

Yes I used Maya / Night Nannies the same as Snowboarder. For us her style worked(I was aware the problem was as much us as the baby and I wanted to know what I needed to do differently) and I never found any issues of availability as she was always available by phone whenever I needed (although possibly I didn't try her over the weekend). But that probably demonstrates a good point - if you're spending that amount of money, they should be willing to give you the opportunity to talk to them in advance and check that the way they work is inkeeping with what your looking for. Good luck finding a solution.

I'd recommend biting the bullet and paying for the help. We did it when my second was 4 months after 2+ years struggling with my first. It was by far the best money we spent. It was sorted in 2 nights of the night nanny (after some prep by us) and more importantly, it gave us the confidence to trust our own instincts. And we could start to enjoy our kids, not being so knackered any more.

Yikes - we almost switched back to St Thomas' because of the late times at Dulwich Prep. Thank goodness we didn't!

Afraid I'm not available but have to agree 100%. It's not just the big stuff but all the tat they acquire along the way. Usually that's the stuff they play with the most!! For us, a lot of it comes from family (grandparents, close uncles/aunties etc) all each spending the equivalent of what is probably sufficient in itself as the main present.