amydown

We have just put in a second dishwasher in our kitchen - when husband suggested it a while back, I thought totally unnecessary. However, now I couldn't live without it. It's amazing!!

We looked into it this a lot and then decided to ask our builder to build a few things for us - a climbing frame with spider web, a slide, and a rock climbing wall (the latter not yet finished). We went for the above option because the off the shelf ones I saw didn't really work with our space and I couldn't find any decent ones to try out first... Happy to share pictures if you PM me if that's of interest.

We have two lively boys at the Prep and we absolutely love it. Yes, they are quite structured in many ways but I'm glad to report it really isn't about stopping the boys from having fun! My 6-year old is ultra sporty, whilst our 4-yr old is a lot gentler and more into creative things, and both are thriving in the Prep. The teachers are very in tune with individual boys' needs in my personal opinion. They have Twitter accounts which are brilliant for getting a glimpse into what life is like at the Prep from a child's perspective, which you might be interested in taking a look.

messageWanted: Reliable and CRB checked Driver wanted for school run help Posted by amydown Today, 10:15AM Hi, We are looking for a confident and reliable driver (doesn't need to be a professional driver if that makes sense!) that could help with the school run from East Dulwich and West Dulwich (and vice versa) during term time. We will have our own car but due to personal circumstances, we just need somebody to drive the car for us for c. 6 months. We will pay competitive rates per hour. It could suit somebody that's recently retired/ a professional taxi driver that would like regular income, etc etc. If you have any recommendations or are interested, please drop me a line! Amy

It may be helpful for you to give one of the nanny payroll companies a call - even if you don't currently use one, they are very helpful in giving ad hoc advice in my experience. We use Nanny PAYE (have done so for 6 years) and they are very helpful. My personal interpretation of the above is that the notice period does not apply to probation period but I'm not a lawyer!

Delivery time is really really terrible. Just searched the forum to see whether it's just us. Been waiting for 1.5 hours and still no food after one inquiry phone call. Their food is soooo yummy though.

We had it at JAGS indoor sports hall and it was fab! The only downside to JAGS I find is that the gap between parties isn't long enough so it can feel really rushed setting up and clearing up,

I've recommended our architect and builder on here before - 3 of my friends have also had them for various bits of work, including a kitchen extension and all very happy. Jino and Lee (ArchInno Ltd) did a huge project for us about a year ago, gutting the whole house, and then doing a big kitchen extension and loft conversion. This was our second big project and we had used a local firm before, who I would NOT recommend (feel free to PM me for details of the builder to avoid!). Jino and Lee are actually based in Wimbledon area but doing a few projects in Dulwich currently. They are back with me at the moment doing building a large decking area with integrated slide and play stuff for our kids. They are fabulous! Best thing is their accountability - with our previous builder, we couldn't get hold of him when we had issues. With Jino and Lee, 18 months after they finished in site, even for a minor issue, they will be here in a shot to sort stuff out and that is just impressive in my view. Jino's number is 07786 985564.

We have these for our kids and it's good (it does slouch a little as it's made from canvas). Easy to bring them downstairs too and our kids put their clothes away themselves. Currently on sale - Cox and Cox also do a lot of discount codes. Plus, if you go and register with Quidco, you get additional cashback: http://www.coxandcox.co.uk/colours-whites-laundry-bags

?10/h

Just to add that a sole charge nanny normally seems to charge ?10/h net if just working for one family but if it's a share, I believe they charge more per hour (eg. ?12/h net to be shared between families)

Both my son and I have had a private test done on Harley Street (London Allergy Clinic) and it was covered under our insurance if you have medical insurance. I and my toddlers started wheezing and coughing non stop when we moved into a temporary rental whilst having our house renovated and it turned out to be severe cat allergy - we had had our cats for about 5 yrs by then but I hadn't really noticed it in our own home. The rental house was much smaller and carpeted everywhere so my symptoms then came out big time. We sadly had to rehome our cats which was really upsetting for the whole family but it was the right decision for our family.

Hi Dev I think a nanny share can be a wonderful set up for both parents and kids when it works and it's good that you are thinking these things through now. There is no hard and fast rule on any of the above I think and it depends on the financials, logistics and most importantly, what the nanny and the families look to achieve. I have been fortunate to have the same wonderful nanny for over 5 years and in our third nanny share arrangements and all shares have been really enriching and we remain good friends (shares ending through pregnancy, etc). Some thoughts on specific questions you raise: - split of cost: I think this can be affected by a number of things, including the age of the share children. I have seen more shares with 50:50 split because families with older children tend to have at least one or both of them in school/ nursery during the day and also younger babies can arguably be harder work for the nanny and demand more attention/ energy - personally, I find doing the share in one house far easier for the nanny and children, particularly if the share is not for all 5 days - In terms of share of food costs (and you need to take into account cost of fuel, car insurance, food for children obviously but also for nanny food cost if you provide it). I have, in the past, tracked the cost for a month and then agreed a fixed contribution by the other family. If the other family's needs are specific (eg. Baby in nappies), I think providing them separately will be sensible. - you may also want to think about how you share kitty money. This can be quite a big expense over time, particularly for paid activities - in terms of sickness, we have always just been very relaxed about it. When one of mine had chicken pox, our nanny share boy got it too (poor thing!) so depends on the severity of it I think. For normal colds and sick bug, we have always accepted that it's something that just goes round so no worse than nursery or school. If it's more serious though, I would anticipate the parents to take charge rather than exposing share children to the same serious illness. Hope that helps and of course others may have different set ups/ advice. Just some general thoughts - money and parenting issues can be difficult to bring up so best to have many scenarios discussed up front and if issues do arise (which they will inevitably do), talk them through early and just enjoy it. Also, it can be quite a juggling act for the nanny so I think having that conversation with re nanny can also be incredibly helpful. Good luck!

We also rent out our huge guest bedroom through AirBnB and have had lovely guests stay with us for the last few months. We have excellent reviews too. AirBnB comes with all the appropriate security and insurance measures too. Happy to answer any questions if you would like to find out more :) https://airbnb.com/rooms/4057185?s=1

It's mortifying when that happens! I similarly feel uncomfortable about "Do as you are told" and my husband and I are fully committed to never saying that. We do have two principles we try to stick by (picked up from a book called How To Talk to your Kids): 1. Always explain the reason for you asking them to do something/ not to do something (eg. Stop playing with the glass - it can easily break and could give you a big ouch) 2. Always match punishment to action ANDY explain the link(eg. If you keep throwing your food on the floor, I will have to take your food away because that is wasteful as opposed to if you keep throwing your food on the floor, I will lock your favourite toy away - the latter has no link between action and consequence if that makes sense). It seems really drawn out at first but with 2 simple-ish rules, we find that it works most of the time. Wishing you all the best!

We have the Suffolk range I think, with leathered black granite.

We have Neptune and are very pleased with the quality. We got them through Woods of London in Blackheath. The cabinets are really solid and lovely.

Just bumping this thread to recommend Giulio Scala. I trained with Giulio to recover after having baby number 2 and would thoroughly recommend him. Very friendly, helpful, motivational and I was very happy with the result.

Also worth noting that cat allergy symptoms don't always include runny nose and itchy eyes. As I mostly just had the coughs and not other synptoms, I didn't think I had cat allergy but my blood test told a very different story!

Was going to suggest allergy test too - I recently suffered from persistent cough and test revealed severe allergy to house dustmites and cats. We sadly had to rehome our cats. I was prescribed an inhaler and asked to come back for asthma test but since rehoming cats and making bedding changes and a new sofa, my symptoms have pretty much disappeared.

It's disheartening to see judgemental comments about parents who send their kids to private schools. All preconceptions are dangerous and those against privately educated people/ parents who choose that route are no exception. The motivation for private education is not as black and white as some posters make it out to be. Given the state school place shortage, we wouldn't have got a place in a state school that didn't involve a long bus journey for our kids. Lots of parents in our private school are in the same situation and indeed, some children switch back to a local school when they are offered a place after staying on the waiting list. At the end of the day, as all parents do, I want my kids to have the best opportunities in life. I don't mean that in the financial/ getting a good job sense but in them being able to experience lots of different activities, which in my view, private schools can facilitate better. This obviously comes at a hefty cost but as parents, we have chosen to spend that money on education rather than other luxuries in life. That's our choice - not better or worse than others' but just our personal choice.

And nanny tax companies will also help you find the right gross rate by working back from net pay. I agree that nannies play a very important role in families and totally see the cost of our nanny being worth the financial sacrifice. I wish however, that more can be done from tax policy point of view (ie making at least a portion of nanny cost tax deductible) to encourage the right economic behaviour of encouraging mums back to work. It seems completely illogical that a family that is providing another full time employment gets no recognition through tax. In fact, I recently found out that from April 14, employers cannot claim statutory sick leave through National Insurance either if their nanny is to go on long term sick leave. It does make things incredibly difficult for working families to manage, both financially and logistically... This is of course nothing to do with nannies agreeing rates on a net basis but more to do with the UK tax system but worth bearing these potential costs in mind when employing a nanny.

Both my boys have started out on balance bikes from about 2. Our eldest, now nearly 5, went pretty much straight from balance bike to a full on bike with a very brief spell of stabilisers (don't think he needed them at all!). Our youngest, now 2.5, is super fast on a balance bike and am a very confident rider. I would thoroughly recommend it. I can't rid a bike and am considering investing in an adult size one!! We have the Strider brand, which is a lot lighther than wooden bikes and are very happy with it. Hope that helps.

Given the shortage of state school places, I think the more they can do to encourage quality education through the private sector, the better. People who then end up sending their kids to private school are, at the same time, relieving pressure on the state school. As thee parents don't get any tax deduction for education expenses coming out of their net pay, the state doesn't lose out and it provides more space in the state system. If private schools were to lose charitable status and therefore tax paying, for instance, the cost would get passed onto parents. That would have a huge knock on impact on already-stretched state system capacity.

Love love love our kitchen island. Instead of having the island in the middle, we had it attached to the wall to maximise floor space for our table.