njc97

We went a few years back to Milan/Como/Verona/Venice, via train. I think we just got tickets on the day, otherwise I'd use the DB timetable website which then usually links through to ticket sales. Trains were cheap, fast and comfortable. I assume Garda is like lake como - once you get to sermione, you can get a boat up to whatever village you're staying in. We hired a car for one day, the italian drivers lived up to their reputation.

pasta/rice with tomato sauce (batch made and frozen, or from a jar) or pesto. Blinis from sainsburys plus tomato puree and slice of cheese = mini pizzas. Scrambled eggs/omelettes. Our son currently has a thing about parsnip chips - basically roasted parsnips. Anabelle carmelle's chicken balls can be frozen and then fried. Or homemade burgers.

It's true and I assume familyfix will be the same - the adaptors stick out a lot and are designed to go on the "knobs" on top of bugaboo chassis. But it's not a problem, as you can take the seat off the adaptors and leave the adaptors on the chassis.

Our maxi cosi went in the washing machine fine (and got rid of vomit smell). Add some napisan to the wash and dry outside in the sun (if you can).

lochie - you can also mention to him that as well as watching PP (or I've heard rumoured, Thomas the Tank Engine), he'll get to sit in a car while they cut his hair. My son loved it despite previously hating going to hairdresser.

Umm, about 1/2 an hour every evening before bed (currently obsessed with octonauts), a film at weekends if we're not out. Probably too much but....

Ratty - similar here. ?100-?150 a week in sainsburys, plus butcher, baker, greengrocer and deli on saturday mornings and organic veg box most weeks. Then regular trips to corner shop for milk, and a takeaway a week. Oh and buy wine from majestic/on line. That's for 2 adults, a 3 year old and baby. Snowboarder - I agree with all you said. I love going to sainsburys. And we do tend to throw out the odd bit of vegetables from our box (especially when it's giant red cabbages 3 weeks in a row). We cancel the box about once a month to help us catch up.

Prickle, from the ofsted report for Hereford schools: "The academy met the government?s floor targets for academic performance in the last year, when it first introduced the equivalent of five GCSE examinations. The examinations include GCSEs in English language, English literature and mathematics, and a BTEC in ecology studies which is equivalent to two GCSE examinations." Re reading: "Children [in the kindergarten] are immersed in the rhythm and rhyme of language, including verse, song, and stories, and this provides a firm foundation for learning to read. While their attainment in reading by the age of six years is well below the national expectation, as it is by age 11, pupils? attainment in GCSE English is above average." The summary seems to be that Kindgarten there is very good, "proper" schooling about 50% good and 50% satisfactory. Of course that might just be one particular schoool rather than Steiner philosophy as a whole

We took my son to see the Lion King (a DVD favourite) on his 3rd birthday. He loved it and sat perfectly throughout. Since then my sister took him to see happy feet 2 and he apparently sat well behaved again, even wearing 3d glasses. I think if he can watch a whole film ok at home, he'll probably be ok in the cinema.

Renata - if the plans for the new free school, together with the adoption of Hatcham Temple Grove school, the number of children getting in from Southwark will likely fall towards zero in the future.

Just to repeat what others have said - our son never slept in his cot, he had to be put in buggy and taken outside (and would then usually fall asleep before you got to the end of the road). But when he went to nursery he slept there well from the start. Before he got too big for the buggy, he decided he didn't need a sleep at home (or in buggy) at all (around 2 years old from memory) but oddly was still having a sleep at nursery every day.

How about Hastings? There's a good soft play centre (clambers), or trampolining, crazy golf etc on seafront, plus wakling on beach, going up the cliff lifts, running about castle.

Duplo tractor/dumper truck Ride on Thomas the Tank Engine/car/similar Wooden bus All v popular with our son when he was that age (and still are). TK Maxx has some good, big metal cars but unsure if they've got little bits that might get swallowed.

Someone doesnt think pubs are just for adults: Many as are the virtues of the Moon Under Water, I think that the garden is its best feature, because it allows whole families to go there instead of Mum having to stay at home and mind the baby while Dad goes out alone. And though, strictly speaking, they are only allowed in the garden, the children tend to seep into the pub and even to fetch drinks for their parents. This, I believe, is against the law, but it is a law that deserves to be broken, for it is the puritanical nonsense of excluding children ?and therefore, to some extent, women?from pubs that has turned these places into mere boozing-shops instead of the family gathering-places that they ought to be. - George Orwell

Fuschia that's a pretty one sided set of facts, some of which are out of date (the 46bn in particular I don't think is relevant)

rahrahrah - you clearly don't go to pubs, they don't have cigarette machines anymore. Right about the height of the bar, hence I find toddlers prefer places with table service.

Surely this discount is a benefit?

"It's not just the pubs, it's on the buses, sidewalks, and in shops and cafes, too" THEY LET CHILDREN ON BUSES NOW? WHY WON'T JAMES BARBER DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS?

I saw this posted elsewhere and though people might be interested: The TLC team from King?s College London are conducting a programme aimed at helping parents manage children?s challenging behaviours, including aggression, disobedience and tantrums. We are looking for families with children aged 3 ? 8 who experience these difficulties. Eligible families who wish to participate will receive free, non-medication-based treatment by working one-on-one with a therapist in 6 weekly 1-2 hour sessions at the Denmark Hill campus of King's College London. Families are also asked to participate in an assessment before and after treatment to help us evaluate the effectiveness of this programme, and will be reimbursed for their time. We will be offering this programme to families from October 2011 until January 2013; places are limited and conditions apply. If you have any questions, please contact Jenny Allen (0207 848 0756) or Kim McGregor (0207 848 5836); email [email protected].

E-dealer, they'll be at the south end near the running track (see renata's post above), which is close to EB train station. Or, if you can get to Honor Oak Park station easily, ELL to Surrey Quays.

rice cakes/bread sticks with some hummus or philadelphia. Sainsburys mini blinis + tomato puree + cheese = mini pizzas

Piles cream? (tightens the skin, allegedly)

Might already be mentioned above, but fuschia's fantasy sets probably include LLoyd Alexander's stuff. Biggles? Isaac Asmiov did a series for kids The ... Adventure books by willard price

Huguenot - quite right, why not have an event at 11am on a Tuesday morning in August, because that's a much more popular time for a fireworks display.

Interesting. Belle (and others) have you also read this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Selfish-Reasons-Have-More-Kids/dp/046501867X ? Interesting in that it (using research) argues that, short of abuse, how you bring your kids up doesn't really matter.