slummymum

Hi Paula, do you work in Lewisham at all? I need help for 2.5 hours a week. Thanks!

I'm looking for recommendations for a reasonably priced reliable painter /decorator prepared to travel to the wilds of Lewisham. Thanks

To entertain 15-20 6 year olds. recommendations gratefully received. thanks!

Bit of a long shot I know posting this on EDF, but has anyone heard anything about a steiner Xmas Fair this Sunday in Blackheath? Might be something to do with the Greenwich Steiner school but can't find any more info about it. Any help appreciated

Yes! Thank you!

Can anyone help with this? The magazine which I think was called South Of the River allowed you to post childminder vacancies in return for a fee. I googled it recently but could find no trace. Am keen to track it down as we've moved out of ED and so the forum less helpful as a source of childcare. Thanks!

My son has recently started at a reputable nursery for two sessions a week. He is small for his age and has been coming back very upset saying that one of the children has been pushing him. The child in question is bigger than my son and has learning difficulties which we knew about before we started and we fully support that child being there. My problem is that I am concerned the staff aren't being upfront with me about what is happening between this child and my son. For example it was my son not the staff who told me about the pushing (which the other child can't help). I have now said twice to the staff that I want to know about all the incidents so that I have a sense of whether my son is going on about one incident or several and so I can try and allay his worries. Today I picked him up and he had a red mark on his cheek. The nursery staff said he had been in an accidental collision with "another child" in the nursery. My son told me it was this same child and when I checked with the staff they confirmed this was the case. Given I had already asked to be told about about all the incidents I don't understand why they didn't just say this straight up. I have said all along that I don't blame the other child but I do want to make sure things are managed so that my son is OK. The nursery has offered to move my son to a different sessions but the issue is more that I don't understand why the staff aren't being more upfront with me. I have said once again that I would like to be told about all these incidents. I am tempted just to pull him out but he otherwise seems OK there and on the whole I think the nursery is good. Also if I pull him out now would this leave me for the rest of the term's fees? All advice appreciated.

Am at my wits end with my three year old son. He has got the hang of wees but just is not getting clean. We had to turn down a place at our local preschool because of it and I'm worried that we won't be able to take the place offered to us for January for same reason. Am trying not to get tense about it but I'm having to change him about 3x a day. Have tried offering incentives in the form of a sweet for when he tells us he needs to go and a toy for when he is managing it regularly to no avail. Does anyone have any advice? Thank you so much!!!

I was concerned recently when I rushed back from work and arrived there 7.15pm (it was late night opening) to collect a much needed prescription. The woman at the till asked if I could come back the following day as to make up my prescription might mean they had to stay past closing time. However my prescription had been faxed over by the GP hours earlier because I really needed it to stop symptoms getting a lot worse. They did -reluctantly - make up my prescription but I remain deeply unimpressed. Surely chemists too have a duty of care?

To the utter scumbag who nicked my purse from my handbag on Saturday in St Christopher's Hospice. I doubt very much that you're classy enough to belong to EDF. But just in case... Yes - I was stupid to put it on the back of my son's buggy for five minutes so I could look hold up some clothes in front of the mirror. But it was a charity shop! And my son was asleep in the buggy! You must be so totally devoid of morals that your life is clearly a misery. The result? One distraught four year old who having been promised she could go to the toy shop had to be told she could not go as I no longer had any money on me. Hope the ?20 was worth it. The people in the charity shop were very kind. But if this is as common an occurrence as they say it is might a sign in the shop be helpful?

OK have just seen the earlier post which answers all my questions about this.

I was in Somerfield the other day and the staff confirmed that the building being redeveloped near Dulwich Library will be another Somerfield. Does this clarify things at all?

I think this is the same little girl at my daughter's nursery - not in the same class so we didn't know her. We got a letter that really shocked me saying that a girl had died tragically but not what had happened. I am so so sorry for her poor family.

Eeek - sorry if I have caused offence with this post - I'm not used to being a trouble maker!! Far from being sanctimonious - as my message points out my kids are appallingly behaved - I was just a bit concerned for the kids, the carer, everyone and wondered if anyone might know who they are so the parents get to know what happened. I guess the au pair/carer might have told them .... I defo got impression that she was the au pair as the dad was in the shop initially and then he left and I got the idea he was leaving a very disgruntled party behind him. I wasn't paying much attention at that point. BTW my toddler daughter can regularly be seen charging uncontrollably round Somerfield while I struggle with shopping and the other toddler in the buggy. Like I said nice change that it was someone else's kids misbehaving..!

DD is about to start nursery at Goodrich School. The nursery looks fab and we are really pleased. However for primary school catchment wise we are slightly nearer to Heber (but nursery there small and we didn't get in). I have heard good things about both schools but wanted to hear more views to help me decide which to put first on the form. Thanks!!

Have just found out that my sister was nearly mugged on Lordship Lane at about 5pm on Saturday 23 August. A mad looking mad approached her and tried to snatch her bag offering a "trade". She tried to cross the road to avoid him but there were too many cars. A really nice couple came to her rescue and escorted her to the police station. So thank you so much whoever you are. My sister said as a result she thinks ED is a nice area (mugger excepted). I'm less impressed with the response from ED police station which seemed somewhat indifferent but that's another story....

I too have had an odd Fabric experience. I went in to by some muslin for my windows. The owner's father (I think it was) came in, looked me up and down and while looking at me said something about me in Russian or some such language to the owner. I don't think it was complimentary and I felt really humiliated. I haven't been back since. Fabric - you need to sharpen up your customer service pronto.

Was in John Barnett on Sat with my two abominably behaved toddlers. Luckily there were two older kids - a boy and a girl aged may be 9 and 7 who were behaving even worse. The boy who had a scooter seemed to be being vile to the girl who was shrieking like a two year old. The au pair (I think) who was foreign (Polish?) seemed to really struggle with them and they were being rude to her. The staff at JB had to intervene to stop the kids fighting. Once out of the shop the older lad scooted off on his own across the road way way ahead of the others. Like I said, my kids aren't exactly angels and I have also been an unhappy au pair so sorry if this is a snitchy post but if these were my kids and my au pair I would want to know what was going on.

Speaking for the slummier population of ED (maybe just me and my family) it's nice to have a less tarted up part of town. Lovely though L'ship lane it's getting so that we can't enter some of the shops without taking out a second mortgage. And handcuffing the kids to the buggy...And what happened to the Lane Cafe? The refurb is fab but I feel sad that its owners felt the need to posh it up...