prdarling

I have never seen party bags handed out at school. At my son's school they come home with a cupcake, a homemade biscuit or a slice of cake and occasionally one of those mini bags of Haribo which contains about 8 teeny sweets. I really don't see the problem with any of it. Aren't birthdays all about treats? Most schools have a healthy eating policy these days and don't allow things like crisps, chocolate etc in packed lunches but it's a bit bah humbug to ban birthday treats. I usually make Rice Krispie cakes or similar as they are cheap and quick to do and I can use good quality chocolate so I know they are not getting rubbish

Due to financial constraints my after school nanny has had to get a full time job which leaves me with no care for my little boy Wilfie aged 3 on a Tues Wed and Thurs. He is at Buds until 3.30pm on these days. I was wondering if any Buds parents/nannies might be able to help me out by looking after him on any of these days until the end of term in July? I would be able to get him at 6pm. I would of course pay the going rate Please do PM me if you think you can help as it's all a bit of a pickle Many thanks Jane

Anybody??????? Thinking of taking the kids over there today but need to manage expectations... if we get there and it's empty I'll be in big trouble

Alice the waiting lists are prioritised according to the original admissions criteria. Contact Southwark tomorrow and they will be able to tell you places oin the waiting list. They will also be able to tell you whether you can add your son's name to any other waiting lists. It's such a stressful time. I had the same situation a year ago. I got a good outcome after 8 weeks of waiting and then an offer at my first choice school 8 months later, a fortnight before the start of term. The admissions team were fairly hard work last year but things may have changed with the new system. Good luck I hope something works out for you

I need the same but for 60-70 people, so any thoughts welcomed - sorry for the hijack :)

Please could you PM me the details too Thanks

I use Aveeno oat based cream and bath oil on my son and it has made his back really silky soft - it was formerly like sandpaper. He still gets occasional flare ups behind his knees and on his thighs so I use a little hydrocortisone when needed but the Aveeno is really great. Can be purchased in pharmacy on North Cross Rd. ?7-8 ish but you don't need lots, especially of the bath oil

I think you could be in a bit of a black hole. I know if you phone Fairlawn and tell them the name of your road, they'll be able to tell you if children from there always/never/sometimes get in. Sure other schools can do similar? We used to be on Ryedale (FHR end) and got offered Goodrich 2 months after the initial allocation, I also know that some of the Reception classes at Goodrich still have 2-3 spaces in them so all is never as it seems :)

I think Dulwich is fine for what will end up being a 20 minute swim, a 9 month old in a wetsuit will be fine. The hydrotherapy pool at Peckham Pulse is much warmer if you think your baby will prefer that

Deffo go to A&E. My son once had a urine infection and it turned out to be E Coli. Don't want to worry you as this was very extreme and unusual, especially in a boy, but urine infections are bloody painful at the best of times, so if you think that's what it could be then you are best to get her checked out. Kings paeds A&E are normally very good and quite quick and they will do a dipstick urine test on the spot from which they will be able to get some indication of whether infection is present

IMO, nothimg wrong with co-sleeping per se. Never heard of any teenagers who still co-sleep so it's clearly something they grow out of, plus there is nothing nicer than snuggling down with a toasty warm toddler, knowing that those days are inevitably numbered. BUT and it's a big but....maybe I am the only one but my God it's an uncomfortable night in the Darling house with a child in the bed. Even if MrD is out of town and I just have one small fry with me, I am kicked about the head 45 times a night as the lunar pull sees them attempt to swim the Channel in their sleep. If MrD is present and someone appears at my bedside, I'm afraid they get frogmarched back to bed as the combo of the oblivious MrD snoring and one boy or the other beating me senseless with flailing limbs is more than I can take. Am envious of you co sleepers who can all tuck in for a good nights sleep but it doesn't sound like much of that is happening anyway, as one parent (Dad) is inevitably turfed out. While I agree that a sleeping baby is the holy grail when you are a new parent, I have to say that I'm feeling sorry for those Dads who are on mattresses on the floor or in a single bed in the spare room like an unwelcome guest...especially when the poor devils are off to work the next day. Am I the only one who thinks everyone in the family deserves a good nights sleep?? Not a criticism of co sleeping...I have done my fair share but the maths don't stack up, 2 adults and 2 small boys into one bed do not go

Great post Helen. Been thinking about skiing next year when my two will be 6 and 4, but didn't have a clue where to start. Now I do. Thanks so much for all the brilliant detail

Keef are you saying you think everybody should have the right to an elective c-section? Who would pay for this though? I think the NHS is fairly drained of resources without giving peiople the option of major surgery that requires an anaesthetist, consultant and who-knows how many support staff...when actual this surgery is really only needed for life-saving circumstances. While I agree that women should have the right to pain relief, home or hospital birth etc, I don't see how anyone it would be workable to give everybody the right to a serious operation. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you are saying? I also don't agree that everyone should be necessarily given an epidural the second they demand one. It's not always the best course and maybe I am naive but i feel experienced midwives would have this in mind when they delay it. I know I was desperate for an epidural with my first son and it's clear to me now that the midwife who kept popping off to find the anaesthetist, do the paperwork etc was really just stalling as she could see that I was labouring really quickly and I was coping well, even though I was clearly in pain. Am so very grateful she did as I had my baby, intervention free, about 3 hours after the epidural discussion began and am fairly sure I'd have still been there hours later possibly dealing with a forceps/ventouse birth if I had gone ahead. As for the badge of honour of a natural birth...while I agree, a small minority are fairly irritating in their I'm-the-best-mother-in-the-world attitude to natural births, breastfeeding kids in school uniforms and only feeding their children tofu, some people are just bloody proud of their achievement. Smugness is wrong, but pride in doing something which is really really difficult shouldn't really be knocked. Best of luck to all of you awaiting babies...whichever way it happens you will get your beautiful baby and you will feel like the most important person in the world and nothing can take away that thrill :)

Looking for Punch & Judy/ magician or similar for 5 year old's party which will be upstairs at The Mag. Any suggestions? Thanks

We did Elvedon when boys were 13 month old and 2y 7 mth (fairly sure Pickle and I discussed it back then!). We loved it, boys loved it. All we did was swimming every day, and cycling with the boys on the back of the bikes. Took all our own food as it's brutally expensive and not particularly nice. Although MrD and I did have a curry one evening which was lovely. We stayed in a new style Exec lodge, but got upgraded to a house as on arrival found a JCB digging up the road right in front of our lodge. I wouldn't stay in one of the cheaper options as thery are pretty grotty. Next weekend is the start of half term so will be more expensive - it's a real rip off in school hols, they want ?900 for royal wedding weekend instead of less than ?400 for example Fun but not sure it's ?400 worth of fun

This junction is ludicrous considering there is The Harvester on one corner and in the cricket pavilion opposite, there is a nursery and oppsite all iof this there is a parade of shops My son attends the nursery and I tend to drive to avoid running the gauntlet of the LL/South Circ traffice lights...but for heavens sake a pub, shops and a nursery mean people and lots of them. Does it take a genius to work this out? Don't get why this could take 5 years...what is the problem?

Forgot to say they take kids from 4 and website is www.avpsports.co.uk

The brilliant Scamps at DCPS. Open Easter and all summer..9am-4pm ish.. poss earlier and a bit later. They do sport in the morning, arts and crafts, lunch, swimming and then another sport. Fabulous

...who have space on a Saturday or Sunday? The holy grail I know, but I can only try Thanks in advance

Scamps is running at DCPS. My son went last summer and loved it. Is for kids aged over 4 without parents and day consists of sport like football/cricket/tennis, arts and crafts, packed lunch, chill out time/stories etc, swimming, other sport Really good fun and great value. Can't recall cost, but think website is avpsports.co.uk or .com

Would love to go from 2-3 for same reasons as lots of people above. Mine were 18 months apart so no awareness of having a baby in the house, which I think they would both love. I have two boys and I think a third child would totally hang the dynamic which at the moment is largely about competition and fighting. Maybee I'm fooling myself, but I really think a new baby would make them more considerate, less rowdy etc...there would be a different focus in the house. They are both so gentle and sweet with friends' babies it brings a tear to my eye. Simple fact is I cannot afford to stop working. Have recently moved house and couldn't possibly take much longer than 4 months maternity and then we'd be crippled by additional childcare costs. So depressing to have to consider money in the equation, but short of a lottery win, the numbers just won't add up Very much envy all of you with 3+ kids and would love to know your secret!

Interestingly after all of the primary school application chaos from last spring when so many people wanted Goodrich (or Heber) and loads of people were left with none of their choices, I know that currently at least one of the Reception classes in Goodrich only has 27/30 places filled. Not sure if people looked elsewhere and preferred what they found??

Paul, ryedalema could have been commenting that she was glad her two children hadn't viewed it. No need to be a smart arse He is a she by the way...'ma' being a diminutive of mother. Clue's in the name

Ha, definitely a pillow or a cushion for yourself. If I'd had a gun I'd have shot MrDarling who had been kneeling by the birth pool (fair enough for quite a while) as I was going through the hell that is transition and said "Would you mind if I got up, my knees are killing me" Not amused at all

I know this is strictly not family realted but i figured mums are quite likely to know the answer. Have just put some washing on and one of those liquitab affairs split open and dropped a big ugly blob on my lovely new-ish Uggs. Anybody got a clue how to deal with it???? Thanks in advance