nina_maniana

Hello for anyone else who sees this - the cat is a healthy and well loved family pet known to the residents on upland road. He just likes to chat which is why he’s always out on the road miaowing at passers by. He’s not hurt or hungry, he only wants to say hello and maybe have a little stroke.

We have same. You can sort the grouting between the boards to make them more airtight or look at getting some insulation below them or even boarding over them and laying new boards on top if that makes sense, to make a smell-proof layer

I’m looking for an ad-hoc carer / babysitter for my son, 7, who has ASD. He is articulate, bright and funny, but because of his SEN he struggles to access regular activities and so can’t attend clubs or participate in most activities appropriate for his age. This means his life outside of school has been until now very restricted to home and mum and dad, as we have another child we also need to accomodate and it’s hard to find activities they can both access. We’re looking for someone to take him for 4 hours per week on a weekend, generally out of the house, and take him to activities so that he can get some more experience of being with people outside of the immediate family. The types of activities might be things such as the cinema, going to the park, bowling and so on. There will be an opportunity for further babysitting or hours on top of the core 4 per week. SEN experience would be ideal, as whilst my son is verbal and physically able, he sometimes needs additional support with his behaviour which could be tricky to navigate for someone without experience of autism. ££ negotiable / competitive

It?s not ridiculous at all, the good places book up fast so you?d do well to be on waiting lists before your due date. Gumboots is one of the most popular locally.

Your GP should do a referral to a pediatric team. They can then triangulate all investigations, looking into whether it could be autism, dyslexia, adhd, spd or anything else. It seems bonkers for you to go and pay for assessments privately one by one. At age 6 I'm not sure whether it would be Evelina or CAMHS, (CAMHS don't deal with very young children but perhaps at 6 they would do) but your GP can sort that. Evelina aim to see kids within a few months, though delayed because of COVID at the moment, but you shouldn't be waiting years for a referral at all.

Oh yes i bought some from them a while back. Totally overcharged me (was stressed with crying baby and so didn?t push back when i realised the price he gave was insane for the amount of fish he handed me). Had to throw it away, it was all horrible and poor quality.

In dulwich park there are a number of benches and trees dedicated to different people who have died. I was wondering if there were any resource to find out more about the people who these memorials are for? Some of the benches and trees I pass every day and think about the people, wondering who they were and which loved ones arranged for the memorials.

If someone?s in the way you can just say? It may seem inconsiderate but trainers are under a lot of stress. Many of them were unable to work for months of this year and as self employed people are unable to access the furlough scheme. I can see how a person under stress might just be thinking of how best to train their client and forgetting the needs of other park users. I bet a friendly reminder rather than a demand for registration details would suffice. These times are hard for everyone :-)

Our kids are at Ducks. It?s a lovely school. Good teacher engagement, nice outdoor space. Can?t comment on DPL but Ducks is pretty much Montessori in all but name, all learning through play, not very pressured. They get a bit of homework but no one checks if they?ve done it. That works for some, wouldn?t for others. Only negative i can think of is a lot of girls leave as they can?t stay past 7, so by year 3 it?s mostly boys. Happy if you want to DM with any questions.

Sue - just repeating what i was told at the time. Clearly very worrying is his mental state and behaviour has declined

Sounds yum. Are you on deliveroo or uber eats?

Shoshntosh, he?s a handsome looking youngish man. Mixed race, usually fashionably dressed and well groomed. Has a gym-buff body. He doesn?t look like he?s homeless, and must have a support network in place as he?s either able to take care of himself or someone looks after him. He is unfortunately quite disturbed but i had been told he?s harmless by others who know him. I feel for him, he clearly has a lot of problems.

The lordship lane surgery is great. Friendly reception staff and GPs who actually remember your family

I have a 12 foot table and 2 benches which originally had a wax type surface which has largely rubbed off. I was wondering if anyone handy and good with wood would be able to come and strip them back to the wood and then stail and possibly varnish (?) or laquer (?) them so they don't look so shabby any more?

Also i think the loud party was a wake. Which probably explains the midweek timing. Often when you think people are just being inconsiderate @-holes you find out there?s another explanation.

I?m probably not with the consensus here but tend to think the sound of people having fun is just par for the course in city life. I like living in a mixed urban neighbourhood, i?ve tried living in quieter areas and it?s dull. Earplugs are cheap and totally effective xx

The yoyo is brilliant for city living. I never had one as they only came out when i had my second kid but man i was envious!

Foxes unfortunately do drag nappies out of bins. It?s disgusting but true

It never ceases to surprise me how judgemental people can be... bit of a factcheck here. Not everyone is able to work from home. Some people who are not key workers are required in their roles to go into work each day. Some of those employ nannies. Yes, it?s not great, and those people need to work extra hard to observe distancing, but it is what it is. The government letter specifically says the order to stay home does not apply to certain groups and specifically calls out people working in childcare as a group who would be expected to continue to travel to work. So i would think that anyone who employs a nanny would be right to have not thought they would need to look at furlough options. Working from home whilst caring for kids is possible if the kids are a bit older, but for pre schoolers is, for most, not an option. Clearly nannies need to not be gathering for play dates and so on. That?s just irresponsible. The private eye cartoons and so on are so unnecessary and unkind. Everyone is struggling, everyone has bills to pay, and the idea that people in dulwich are outsourcing their childcare to put-upon servants because they can?t be bothered to do it themselves is, I expect, far from the truth.

Sue - i think there?s a difference between being packed on a tube for the commute and spending all day in a crowded office versus meeting a friend for lunch and avoiding unnecessary contact? I understand why the government would want places closed but for my own peace of mind i would definitely be comfortable with going to some social spaces. My question was more, based on the government?s loose form of words around closures whether businesses would tend to stay open pending a formal edict by which they could actually claim insurance?

Wondering if in light of the latest government advice whether pubs and restaurants in the area will stay open? Working from home is fine but having nowhere to go to break it up will be tough (though understandably maybe necessary)

Good luck laura! If you find a magic bullet for this i?d love to find it. Had zero luck with koru kids and have had to keep a full time nanny just to have someone for holidays etc.

Depends on the school i guess. Good thing about private i guess is you have a bit more control, like if you really aren?t into the pressure thing you can choose steiner or montessouri

Not too late but i?d get on the case now. You would still find somewhere if you left it later but if you give yourself a head start then you have the pick of the bunch. Also, trust me, it will be easier looking and making a decision now than after your baby is born! Like many of us you may think ?oh i?ll have time on maternity leave? - you really won?t xx

My 4 year old is mad about cooking. Loves it. Wondering if anyone knew of any food based classes or activities which run during holidays as it would be his idea of heaven. Long shot but thought I'd try!