The Nappy Lady

I agree Moos - I remember people drinking alcohol & smoking behind the bike sheds en route to youth club when I was about 13/14 years old (in the 80's). I think my childhood was pretty average, OK school, mix of friends, mostly middle class. Don't remember drugs being around, at least to my knowledge, but I was about 20 when raves/taking ecstasy etc. all kicked off, and I think prior to that drugs were maybe not around so much/younger people were less aware of them???? I think it is better to prepare yourself for the chance children may be exposed to this stuff, and to have had conversations with them about it all. If it doesn't happen then great, but at least they may be armed with some reasons as to why they don't want to try 'X' if you've discussed it with them, rather than giving in to peer pressure. I think the statistics speak for themselves, though it is very depressing reading and sort of makes me want to scoop my girls up and take them to live on an island somewhere (which is not the answer I know).

As promised, images of the biodegradable bag inside the kitchen caddy. You have to stretch it just slightly to fit around the rim of the bin, but it really isn't difficult at all. I put it on the back first, then pull over the front rim. Feedback so far - My main kitchen bin (2 x 30litres) - 1 side recyling, 1 side general waste looks like it will now go 2 weeks without needing the waste side to be emptied. All it has in it really are the plastic wrappers off some food, and nectarine stones which I don't think can go in the food caddy (can they??). Not only will it be great not to need to empty it so often, but it will not get smelly now as no food is loitering in it. The recyling side still fills up fast, but is much quicker to deal with now I can tip it all straight into the blue boxes without sorting. I had 2 blue boxes and a bag previously (1 blue box was for glass and was rarely more than a third full, I have almost filled the 2 blue boxes this week (collection Wednesday), but don't think I will need the bag any more). The kitchen caddy is great - secure lid so no smells. Easy to use - did a big Sunday roast and had it right next to me whilst peeling potatoes, cracking eggs for the dessert etc. and just chucked the food scraps straight in - brilliant. It is relatively small, so I don't think it will take too long to fill up - probably less likely to get smelly than my main kitchen bin to be honest (and that only happens in the hotter weather really anyway). I admit I haven't put any bones or fish skin in there yet, and I do have a dog, who consumes a certain amount of food waste, but it is great to feel like the rest is going to be turned into something that can be used again.... I know there will need to be some thought into how to make this work for those who don't have a front garden, I can understand the issue (ours is very small and we struggle). One thought - I assume these people have a 'green' (i.e. general waste) dustbin at the moment, though not sure where you keep it? Having seen how little general waste we are now producing I'd like to think that eventually people could have a brown bin for garden and food waste, and some sort of recycling boxes (or whatever), and that far fewer green bins would be needed. For special situations - where you're having a big spring clean/moving house etc. maybe you could request an additional bin from Southwark for this purpose, rather than having one there all the time with barely a thing in it? Not suggesting this is the perfect answer, but people must have a bin of some sort already, and maybe we should be thinking about replacing rather than adding to the number of receptacles each house has? Re the kitchen caddy - my plan is to try keeping it outside the back door in the summer if need be, rather than in the kitchen if it proves to be a problem. I guess only time will tell. Maybe it will need to be emptied more regularly, I presume Southwark will provide extra bags if this is necessary? James - can you find out about this, just to put minds at rest?

Since being 18 months or so C's favourite thing is to get a Rich Tea and dunk it in MY tea before eating it....now where, or where can she have learn't that from? :-$ I've taken to hiding the biscuit tin on top of the kitchen cupboards now as the other day when I told her there were no biscuits left she went out to the kitchen, found them in the back of the cupboard I'd hidden them in (removing assorted tupperware boxes to do so), and reappeared with them saying "no all gone Mummy, ere are.......". I may never get to have a cup of tea in peace again!

Think Ikea do a good childrens duvet if you can bear going to get it? Our eldest (now 6) has always been a really hot sleeper - regularly bathed in sweat when I go to check on her at 10/11pm, no matter what the time of year, so I've always gone for a light duvet for her, and she has a blanket which can be added if required. I think most children tend to be quite warm at night don't they? Or is my girl a bit odd?! Molly

As Christmas is coming I thought I'd share a couple of toys we have that are really proving useful now DD1 is at school, and explain why they are proving to be so good; DD1 is in Year 2 now and came home with her first list of spellings to learn for a test at the end of last week. We've been going over them each day at breakfast time, but last night came up with a new idea - we have a set of those foam letters for the bath, which stick to the wall when wet. DD1 started spelling out the hardest of the words from the list using the foam letters on the walls and really enjoyed it. I thought what a great way to fit homework into the routine (often hard to do), and make it into a bit more of a game at the same time. We've actually had these foam letters for at least a couple of years now and both girls love playing with them, so I'd highly recommend them - our set was only about ?2 from Tescos! Also, we've got a bag mini alphabet beanbags (upper case on one side and lower case on the other), and another that are numbers 1-20 (numbers on one side and the written version of the number on the other). These have been really useful over the past school year when she was learning to put numbers 1-10 in order, or learning her letters. We played games where I threw her a beanbag and she had to catch it and tell me what the letter or number was (or a word that starts/ends with that letter), or I would hide them around the room and she had to find them and again tell me what the letter or number was. Also making words with them, though only 1 of each letter(!), or the various phonics sounds, and then thinking of words that use that particular sound. At the moment we've got a "GOOD/HAPPY" bag and a "SAD" bag, and we are using the beanbags to record her good behaviour, with the option to put them into the SAD bag if she does something naughty. We've agreed she will get a prize at the end of each week if the Happy Bag has more beanbags in than the Sad Bag. It seems to be working really well, though may wear off.....I will keep you posted! The beanbags were a bit more expensive, but I think they've been worth it as a great learning tool. As Christmas is coming I thought they might be good ideas for stocking fillers. Molly

Eugh Sillywoman, huge sympathy from me, I am dreading the teenage years, based on what I was like, and how strong willed both my girls are it is NOT going to be fun. I do remember my Mum reading my diary at some point when I was around the age of your daughter, and I was so outraged. Of course now I totally understand her motives, but back then I was so angry with her. This is the closest I can come to imagining how your daughter will feel if she thinks you've been snooping on her Facebook account (I know you haven't, that someone approached you, but she may feel that way about it, and worse case scenario may even de-friend that person, which will leave you without the knowledge that that person is keeping half an eye out for you). It could all have very negative repercussions. Overall I get the impression you are handling things just right, guiding her with a gentle hand. If you can do some investigations, without it being obvious to her that you are, or WHY you are, then all to the good, but I suspect the older sister mentioned at the party has a lot to do with it...and your daughter and friend choosing to leave early sounds very positive, as if they didn't want to hang around in that environment anyway. Growlybear, I so hope I have a similar relationship with my girls to the one you describe when the time comes. One of the sayings used a lot in our house already is "Even when I'm angry with you I still love you". Now our 6 year old says it back to us when she's cross with us! I always want them to feel they can talk to me, not as a friend, but as a parent they can trust to guide and support, even if they think I'm going to say stuff they may not want to hear. Oh, need to go and have a glass of wine now as trembling at the thought of what lies 8 or 9 years down the line.....:-S Incidentally - there's no risk of daughter finding/reading this thread is there? If so it may be worth getting the FRM to delete it in due course.... xxx

My bags fit inside the caddy - will take a photo for you & post so you can check to see if yours look any different.

James - Southwark now say there is no cap on the Cloth Nappy Voucher Scheme at the moment, so anyone in Southwark with a child under 18 months may apply for the ?40 voucher (& it is per child, not per family). It seems the person in charge was away last week, hence the confusion. :-\

We always used the Tommee Tippee cups too - like these ones; http://www.tommeetippee.co.uk/product/explora_easy_drink_cup_6m/ The ones I have can have replacement spouts fitted when needed - like this; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tommee-Tippee-Easiflow-Replacement-Spout/dp/B000HSVN92 So I've had really good use out of them (2 children). Molly

We have one for DD1 who turned 6 in July. She got it for her 5th birthday, but her reading wasn't good enough at that point to actually use it. This summer it was brilliant though - on the plane to Spain, and when out for meals she could use it which allowed us all to be happy. If you get an R4 chip for it you can convert DVDs to a format that can then be put on the chip so they can even watch films on it - very useful. Macs do it more easily than PC's, but possible with either machine subject to a bit of googling to find out how. I don't find she goes on it very much most of the time. This morning we all slept in until after 8am (yay - big progress on the part of our very nearly 2 year old), and when I got up DD1 was watching a film on her DS in her bedroom, but to be honest I don't have an issue with that. Once we were all up she put it down and joined in with what we were doing. Agree with Fuschia, moderation in all things. p.s. re cost - we shared the cost of ours with Granny and Auntie - rather 1 big present than lots of little ones...maybe you could do similar if you have other family members who may be wondering what to get? Edited as got myself mixed up with DS and DD's and changed daughter into a son there for a minute!

Belle - sorry to hear you're having a bad weekend. My hubby was away all last week & most of the weekend either side and there were some real low points at times. It is so hard when you don't have anyone else to share the care with (or even just sigh or laugh with about it later). I take my hat off to all single parents. I've taken my eldest out without coat or boots once too - she never refused again! Hang in there.

Trinity, did the tightrope walker almost fall off when he first attempted to jump over his co walker? Did you like the giant balloons they sent around the crowd at the start? Mine loved them.

James; re vouchers I understand there is a set number available each year & when they're gone they're gone. The sad thing is that not all that claim them actually use them, I gather there are about 80 outstanding. Was waiting for confirmation that it is no more this Financial Year or until end of 2010 as maybe outstanding vouchers will then expire, releasing more if that makes sense. Timing is really bad though with the food waste trial starting up, I agree.

charliecharlie, if only 1 bag of food waste, wouldn't one of your neighbours let your pop it into their brown bin? Just a thought. I think if you put the bag out on it's own you'd have to do it on the morning of collection, and even then the cats & foxes may get to it as you said, and then you'll have an awful mess. Molly

That's true charliecharlie, but I don't quite now how we resolve it - I can't see people being keen on having to actually carry their waste to a communal area - e.g. sites at the end of each street, and in reality, we don't actually have space to do that either. I think the change to the policy about sorting plastic/glass/paper etc. is in part to try to make it all easier for people - I have to say it will certainly save me some time each week. It is a problem, and I wish there was a simple solution. I do know some neighbours who have relatively small amounts of waste who share bins, which I think is sensible. As a Design Manager, do you have any ideas about how it could all be done better (not being sarcastic, genuinely interested).

mrsw (and anyone else who is considering cloth nappies). Don't forget Southwark are signed up to Real Nappies for London, so they will give you a ?40 voucher towards the cost of nappies, wraps, boosters or paper liners. HOWEVER, annoyingly they have given out their full allocation of vouchers this year (first time ever that demand has outstripped supply), so no more will be issued until next year. It is a real shame that this has happened now, just when the new waste collection scheme might have brought a few more people to try cloth nappies. But if you have a child under 18 months old you will still be able to apply for one in the new year. Here's the link; http://www.realnappiesforlondon.org.uk/wherewhatwho/boroughs/?borough=southwark Sorry for hi-jacking the thread, but I thought this was useful and relevant information.

Those worried about nappy smells could try washable cloth nappies - it solves the problem very easily, and poo (yes even the runny newborn stuff) really can be flushed down the loo. Re the comment about garden waste & food going to landfill (which is wrong anyway I know)....to correct a general misconception, landfill wastle is not managed in order for it to degrade - it it were there would be a risk of methane explosion. Solid waste stays there forever, liquid waste drains away, when each 'cell' is full it is covered over. So nappies in landfill are there forever, even the ones that claim to be Eco friendly. Of course Southwark do incinerate most of the waste from the green bins at the SELCHIP plant in Deptford now which is better, but we all still need to do what we can. When comparing us to America, do bear in mind they have an awful lot more land mass than us - the whole reason we are having to find new ways to manage our waste is because we don't have the space to keep creating and filling up new landfill sites. I am really pleased to be included in this trial. As a family of 4 our green bin is rarely more than one third full even now, and I look forward to seeing even less in there now the food waste can go into the brown bin. The disposal instructions seem fairly clear to me.

Pickle Wrote: Drugs seem > to help ;-) > > P x ......Drugs for you or M Pickle (tee hee).....Molly ::o

Have you looked at Forest Hill, Brockley, or Nunhead? Where I am in Nunhead (just off Ivydale Rd) it's 15 mins walk over Peckham Park to ED & very pleasant. Not sure about rents, but think you can maybe get the best of both worlds if you hunt just a little bit outside the immediate area. I'm no expert though so if you've done this & I'm wrong apologies. I think if you plan to have a relative staying regularly you may be glad of a bit more space.

It's the additional molars Mellors, it can be really rotten for then - lots of saliva, nappy rash etc. I found Anbesol Liquid best - it's Non systemic pain killer (numbs the gum) - you get a bit on your finger & rub it on the sore bit of gum - easier to work out where with molars as you should be able to feel a bump or the 4 points breaking through. If Mini Mellors is really bad you can use Anbesol alongside usual meds - would recommend an ibroprofen based med as that is an anti inflammatory as well as giving pain relief. Paracetomol alone won't touch molar pain. Hope this helps, sorry for any typos - in middle of mad pre bath time.

Someone needs to go along with their baby bath thermometer I reckon! ;-)

Best wishes Sam, take care. Xx

Chantelle - to get into any school nursery you call at the school office and get an application form. To apply to get your child into the actual school you have to apply on line within a certain time period, but nursery is different. Getting into nursery does not guarantee a place in the school (just FYI). Most children get 3 terms (i.e. 1 school year) in nursery prior to starting in reception. You sometimes get longer, depending on birth date, whether the school does a staggered intake (January and September, or just September), and also simply how popular it is. Places at nursery are allocated according to DOB, and then those who already have a sibling in the school. For example, I thought my youngest daughter would go to nursery in January 2012, when she will be 3 and 4 months, but the school my eldest goes to is switching to a single intake in August, so she will now be very unlikely to start until August 2012 when she will be 6 weeks off turn 4 (and more than ready to go I'm sure). Hope I haven't missed anything, pretty sure that is all correct info.

Oh - here's another....long soaky baths, with the door shut, candles, a good book, whatever! If you like gardening...pottering in the garden, I really missed it - didn't do a thing out there for about a year/18 months after each baby arrived (or in last month or two of pregnancies when I couldn't really bend down or lift comfortably etc) - thankfully DH took it in hand otherwise we'd have ended up with a jungle (I was a mad keen gardener before, and am finally getting back into it - with my 2 girls 'helping' out (some very messy days with bags of compost and bedding plants, but very happy times!!). As others have said I wouldn't change a thing, and it is amazing how you adapt to each stage as you go through it.

Help! Have given up on full time school lunches as there are too many meals that O just isn't eating....but as I suspected I'm now getting into a rut of same old things every day (not that she minds), but I'd like to offer some variety. She always has school meal on a Friday (fish and chips)....so I could do with 3 or 4 good suggestions to rotate through Monday to Thursday - any suggestions? Molly