amydown

We have the P&T Promenade and with baby no.2 now nearly 1, we still use it lots. We have been on the us with it a few times but that wasn't a pleasant experience. Very easy to handle, easy fold and best of all, both seats recline fully so I have had both kids asleep comfortably - excellent resting time for mummy! Apart from not being bus-friendly, really happy with Promenade. We have a P&T Sports for nanny share and I didn't get on with that at all.

I'm back in too. Stopped WW and training after going back to work in Oct. Have stayed roughly the same but would be keen to lose another 10lb or so. I had got into a really good routine of exercising twice a week with trainer and then doing a 10k run but childcare costs since returning to work means I really can't afford the training sessions (worse off financially going back to work. WTF?!? But another thread altogether). Then, there is the question of time. How do mums fit exercise into their days? The only way I can see is to run to/ from work. Do people do this?

Same job, just 4 days a week. Company supportive, career progression unaffected so far and have just gone back after second mat leave. Both times took off about a year off.

I would agree with Picke - sounds more like teething to me. 11m old has gone through stages of doing these and then teeth appearing. Not very immediate though so we did live in fear of "is this a new habit?!?!?"? But thankfully, once teeth were out, he went back to his normal sleep pattern.

There are things I am incapable of doing in the eyes of my 3-yr toddler: - changing batteries (oh dear, never mind. Daddy will be home soon to put some new batteries into that extremely annoying tune-making fire engine) - turning the Wii on (you know mummy doesn't know how to turn the "TV game" on for you. Sorry dear. Very naughty but gives me a way out :)

The form we had to fill out for the assessment asks for details of the nursery that our son is currently attending. It then asks whether they can contact the nursery. I have ticked "No" as we haven't yet decided whether to stay at this current nursery or go to DPL (formerly known as DCPS)

Haha, we went to Selfridges grotto last year and the Santa really was very grumpy!!!! I'm glad I'm not the only one to think that. He was awful... I digress. Not sure about a farm but we are going to Canary Wharf this year. They have a Santa's grotto on Sat/ Sun in the run up to x-mas. No need to book, just a little queue. We might also go ice skating, plenty of kid friendly places for lunch, step free access everywhere for buggy (and lots of nice shops for mummy!) littlemoo Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Last year I took my son to see a very grumpy > father Christmas at Selfridges. At the time I was > told about a father Christmas on a farm, not too > far out, with reindeer etc. Of course I can't > remember where it was, and am probably too late, > but does anyone know any details?

Pebbles, I'm not a blog reader normally but just spent ages on your blog. So moving and amazing. Hope you and Mr P get a well deserved break. I really hope it works.

That is so helpful to hear. Thank you for sharing it with me gigglesworth.

Hi Minder, Yes, there is the deposit issue - we were told yesterday that we have to accept the place at DUCKS by the end of the month and pay a non-refundable deposit. Dulwich Prep assessment isn't until Dec so the headache. Although son is happy in DUCKS kindergarten, the infant school is a separate establishment in a separate building, so whilst transition could be easier as they are close by and he would have a chance to meet the teachers beforehand, etc., it won't be like moving up a room in nursery for instance. The other thing that I need to get my head round is the fact that if he goes to DUCKS, he has to do the 7+ assessment which, I hear, can be very stressful. Seems such a young age (unlike the assessment due in Dec which is more a play date). If he goes to Dulwich Prep, he will be there until 11. Any thoughts much appreciated.

Just came across this old thread and wondered if anyone had anything to add. Our 3yr old is at DUCKS kindergarten at the moment and has a place at DUCKS infant school which we have to accept by the end of the month. He is doing the assessment for Dulwich Prep London in December so we are trying to decide which one would suit him best. I had seen DPL a while back and had always liked it but having met with the teachers of DUCKS infant school today, also really like their style. So difficult to choose. I'm learning that this is quite a common dilemma - the DUCKS vs. DPL thing. If you've gone through it and can share your experience via PMs or by adding to this thread, I would be very grateful.

Thank you strawb. Glad to read your little one's doing better. Will give Gardens a call tomorrow.

We've been with the DMC for a few years now and whilst I've always been happy with the medical care, it's a nightmare to get appointments and I think it's time to make the move. Can someone recommend a great GP for young kids in the area? The 306 Medical Centre is quite near us and I have heared mixed reviews. If you are with them and can share any experience, would be much appreciated. Amy

Have you checked if he has a nappy rash/ sore bum? Mine would sometimes go hysterical when put in the bath and we would often find his bum looking a little bit sore. Might not be the reason but worth ruling out I guess. Hope it's just a phase!

Thanks ladies. I had some morning sickness but nothing like yours so it's really helpful to get your tips.

Wow, that's a great list. Thank you for the suggestions!!!

A dear friend has moved back to Denmark after a few years in Londond and is now pregnant. She has had a horrid time so far with extreme morning sickness (been hospitalised a few times) and I want to send her a box of goodies to lift her spirits. I am after gift ideas that are good for mums suffering from severe morning sickness and also London/ British things she might be missing now that she is in Denmark. Any lovely ideas?

Pampers nappies, Huggies wipes. Winning combo!

I did a second time mum NCT with Sarah and she was very good. Interestingly, 4 of us had already had a c-section with baby no. 1. Sarah didn't push VBAC which I thought she might do as NCT teachers tend to be pro natural birth, etc. All in all, I would recommend Sarah.

Just wanted to add that doing a nanny share might be an option too. I would also visit local nurseries and get onto their waiting lists ASAP just so that you have some options further down the line. Feel free to send me a PM about nanny shares if you have any questions.

Have you tried GAP? Seem to recall we got a pair of winter snow boots from there for our toddler when he had just started walking. Must have been size 4-5.

I wouldn't worry too much about the "social" element of childcare too much in the early years. Our nanny is great at organising regular play dates so our 3-year old has a group of friends that he has seen a lot over the years. Also, if you can do a nanny share, it's a great way of kids learning to share from an early age. Besides, I don't think kids start playing with each other until they are 2-3. Our main reasons for choosing our nanny option over a childminder were: - more flexibility - can be more involved in how the kids' days are structured, what food they eat, etc. - I didn't want the kids to be driven around unnecessarily for school runs (not always the case and delends on childminder's charges) Finally, I wanted as much individual attention as possible in the early days and felt that the right nanny would be best placed to provide this in my absence. The admin side of things isn't too bad. We use Nanny PAYE for payroll (I think c?140 per year) and the company is great at offering advice. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

This thread would really put some parents off considering a nanny as a childcare option and I wanted to add my thoughts to the discussion from a mother's perspectives. Is it expensive to have a nanny? Yes it is. Is it nannies' fault that it's expensive to have a nanny? Absolutely not. As someone has pointed out above, it is the market that dictates it. Of course in reality, there is a time lag between rates becoming inflated and parents realising it's just too expensive, so in the meantime, some parents might end up paying above market rate and some might not. But, that's just the way it is. What's pushing the rates up, IMO, is a combination of lots of things. This includes the lack of other quality childcare options available (you only have to look at the waiting lists for good nurseries in ED), families in London living away from parents and family, meaning that the value of a nanny is even dearer in case of emergency childcare needs, long commuting hours in London making nursery/ childminder hours difficult logistically, to name but a few. The fact that nannies' gross pay is paid out of parent's net pay adds another layer to the discussion, as often pointed out on this forum. But, again, this isn't nannies' fault in any way. In addition, I don't think it's fair to say that nannies shouldn't expect a big rise in salary coming from nursery backgrounds. That's not for us to decide. If I was a nanny looking to leave a nursery for a nanny job for whatever reason, I would want a higher salary to compensate for: - less job security as a nanny (mother getting pregnant, children going to school) - lack of other adult support - less prospect of continous promotion - no pension (not applicable to all but some large nurseries would be required to provide a pension now) We, as parents, cannot put a value on this and only a suitably qualified job seeker can. Similarly, I don't think it's fair for some nannies to use the "looking after the most valuable children in your life" argument. Just because families can't afford to pay ?10/h, it doesn't meant that they love their children any less. We are all trying to do our best for our kids but sometimes reality means compromise. With regards to other benefits such as food, I would say that you should be up front with each other about expectations from the beginning and then there is less risk of either party becoming upset further down the line. The economy is hard and childcare is quite possibly the biggest cause of stress and financial burden for mothers returning to work. Inevitably, it is easy for us mums to get emotional about it, as I have. However, if I was a nanny and reading this thread, I would have been quite upset at some of the points made. For mums looking into childcare - there are some wonderful nannies out there who can make an amazing contribution to your family life. We have never looked back. Don't be put off by negative comments made here and do take your time to meet lots of nannies to interview.

Mummya, you poor thing! May I suggest one thing and ask that your husband does the dinner cooking? That's the least he can do!!! I also found toddler play dates a god send, especially once my nearly 3yr old dropped his nap. We do play date plus light tea so that toddler has had a good play, suitably worn out and is ready for TV time whilst I get thing sorted for bed and bath. There are lots of friendly mums in ED so perhaps you could start a thread to get a group of second time mums together. I would have joined but back to work in two weeks' time. (And yes, I'm looking forward to my morning Starbucks and being able to go to the loo without an audience!)

Which GP did you move to? Peckhampoet Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I moved last month. Best thing I ever did.