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Thanks very much for your replies, good to know.

Hi, I'd welcome feedback on experiences of the pre-school weekday swimming lessons at Dulwich Leisure Centre please? My 4.5 yr old isn't the most confident swimmer so I'm looking for classes that she'll really enjoy and get a boost from. Thanks!

Hello wise parents, I'm returning to work in a few months and hoping to have a nannyshare arrangement for our youngest, while our eldest will be at nursery. We're looking for three days' cover and it would be amazing if drop off and/or collection of our eldest could be done by the nanny. (Nursery is walking distance from ours) We think it'd best suit a family with a child of similar age to our youngest and can be flexible about hosting, depending on location. Does anyone have experience of nannyshare in this kind of scenario, and if so, do you have any tips on best logistics? Has anyone done a share where another family has the nanny for the remaining unused days of the week? If so, how did you work out fees please? Any feedback would be very welcome, feel free to pm me! Thank you

Hi becky, Do you teach a class for really little ones? My second is three months so I'm beginning to think about what to take her to... Many thanks

Hello, if you're able to do both, I would strongly recommend it, for all the reasons listed above! I did hypnobirthing second time round, having done Nct first time. Nct will give you lots of facts and hopefully a nice group of people to hang out with, but in terms of managing labour - whatever course that takes, hypnobirthing was incredible. Check out London hypnobirthing - Hollie does classes in ED and is a brilliant teacher. Good luck!

Thanks for your posts everyone, really useful!

Thanks WM!

Just seconding this post - Aga has been cleaning for us for about two years and is brilliant, for all the reasons given above. She would be a blessing for any household. Abi

Thanks for those comments, will investigate striders...

Thank you all for your feedback, grateful for your input!

Thanks bawdy-nan, that's really helpful, will investigate.

Hi knowledgeable parents! I'd be grateful for your recommendations as to the best first bike to buy our daughter for her 3rd birthday. Am wondering about balance bikes but perhaps there are small normal ones with stabilisers that are as good / better? Thanks for your feedback...

Having to wade through pages of exchanges like the above, in order to find relevant information on significant local issues is getting really tedious, please please consider this before you rant on at each other. Thanks!

Just wondering if any of these recommendations are by people with warm / reddish tones in their hair? Makes highlights more challenging so I'm nervous of changing from my usual hairdresser but would love to find someone local! Thanks

Mammamia, I'm in the same boat as you! Grateful to know if you manage to find out anything?

Thanks too emski and shaunag :)

Thanks everyone, really helpful!

We're expecting our second baby later this year and I'm wondering whether to try a co-sleeper this time, rather than Moses basket. I know where c-sections are concerned co-sleepers are brilliant but am wondering if anyone has words of wisdom on whether they make babies more dependent on sleeping by parents, longer term. We were incredibly lucky with no. 1 - no Moses basket issues and generally a good sleeper, no issues moving into cot / into own room etc, so although we dont know what this little bundle has in store for us (!) at the moment I'm really mainly considering the co-sleeper from the ease of not having to get out of bed for bfeeding. Any feedback very welcome! Thank you.

If you're looking for something to do over the next few days, there's a great new theatre production on at brixton's ritzy cinema from today until the end of the weekend. Gaga theatre company are showing their new show - a theatrical version of Oliver Jeffers' book Up and Down. It's sold out in Clapham and had a rave review in the mail on Sunday... More details here: http://www.gagatheatre.co.uk/ Thanks!

Thanks DenmotherSmith, funnily enough that was one I'd been looking at!

Hi Bonfire2010, thanks very much for your recommendation - that's not one I've come across but it looks good. Very grateful!

Hello wise parents, I need to buy a humidifier for my baby's room to help ease cold symptoms. I'd love to hear any recommendations from you as there are just far too many to choose from! I'm looking for something not too big but efficient and effective, durable and easy to clean / maintain. Ideally I'd like one with an optional nightlight rather than one I can't turn off. Lastly it needs to be really quiet. My head hurts from reading amazon reviews on all the different makes, so I'm hoping you can help me! Thank you A

I'd like to add a recommendation for Carl ferri. He has just done a brilliant job on our living room - painted to a very high standard, very fairly priced, no fuss, totally reliable and a lovely man to work with.