minder

dollydaydream - it's a bit much to say "shut up moaning" when it's barrybarry's first post! Surely they're entitled to their side of the story.

New mother, I think becca, crystal, helen and coach beth have explained it perfectly. The two school pick-ups are probably in the 5-8 age range and so having three under 5's is what most childminders do every day. The 5-8s are only there for a couple of hours and are usually helpful and (sometimes) easier to look after and keep occupied with parks, homework, craft activities. It's a long day for school age children. After all, most nurseries operate a 3:1 ratio for children under 5 and staff.

LSB - you go to the toddler group as a parent, which, for some reason, is ok with the people who run it. I'm just telling my experience as a carer of children, who apparently are not welcome at a 'toddler group'.

Just a thought but for the past 3 years I've always thought the lollipop man just past North Dulwich train station was employed by the private schools in the area anyway. He comes in for a lot of abuse from motorists and pedestrians but stays really calm throughout. He doesn't mind telling off the teenagers and mums who cross on a red light! He does a good job but as soon as the private schools pack up (which is usually 1, 2, 2 and a half weeks earlier than the state schools in the area) then he isn't there.

The nursery might be small and ofsted outstanding, but just to say I found the Mustard Seed toddler group very unwelcoming. Last January, I turned up one Wednesday morning, after having been told about it by someone I'd met at another toddler group. I'd also asked at the office the week before if it was alright to come along and they said yes. The ladies on the door were very unwelcoming. Was told to wait for someone else to see me. It was cold and I had two in a double buggy and a 4 year old walking. I asked if could come in but the lady asked if I "was a parent" to which I replied "no, not they're parent, but a registered childminder". Felt very unwelcome and they told me I could stay that week and make a donation, which I did, but then felt as if the whole thing was very clickey. They had a waiting list but I couldn't join it as I wasn't a parent! (I am but mine are older). I help to run a parent/carer group and would never exclude anybody. The Mustard Seed toddler group has a very large space, a main hall with two or three rooms running off it and it was quite empty on the Wednesday I went along.

The Sun printed two vouchers for 2 for 1 on Weds, Thurs, Friday. Was for Legoland, Chessington, Alton Towers.

All the 468s are still being diverted too - going all around the world!

The Sun had vouchers for 2 for 1 entry to Legoland, Chessington etc. on Wednesday, Thurs, Friday so dig them out of recycling bag!

LM - what was the point of your post? Made me feel a bit sick actually.

?

The time will come when my children will have to clean their own home. My youngest is 12, then 15 and 18. They all have demands on them at the moment with starting secondary, taking GCSEs and oldest taking A levels. I wouldn't expect them to do major cleaning - they do keep their rooms tidy (most of the time)! But even when they were young, I wouldn't have had a cleaner in. That's just me - I prefer to do it myself and still do in the evenings and at weekends, even though I work from home 5 days a week(8am - 6pm). Then again, I cleaned other peoples houses when my own were babies and toddlers to make ends meet.

I couldn't justify having a cleaner if I was a SAHM and also not do any ironing! With husband needing a shirt every day and three teenagers it's not possible to not do any ironing and cleaning!

Staying at home meant just that for me - I couldn't afford to join a gym/aerobics but just put on all my old records and danced away. Gym/aerobics wasn't really thought of that much back in 1992 when I had my first so that's how much times have changed!

Strawbs - it's Greendale as in Postman Pat (not Glendale) - sorry grew up in the area so just had to correct!

Wasn't a horrible day for me - my middle one was 15 today! 6/6/96 - D-day as my father-in-law always reminds me!

Anna - it might not be so difficult to get the quals needed to become a registered childminder, but it's even harden to sustain this. Ofsted registered doesn't just mean for parents "claiming back tax" it's a whole lot more than that. Some of us choose it as a career. Before having my 3 children, I worked for 12 years in various secretarial/government roles. I stayed at home for 5/6 years but decided then would never go back to that again, as didn't want to leave my children. Since then I've found a different kind of work, but something that I really enjoy.

There is a cricket club opposite the Harvesters in Lordship Lane (my son used to go there during half-terms) but not sure if they cater for 4 year olds.

But it's only nature! How do the foxes know you've got an electric fence!

ksh - hope your venture is a success. It's obviously something that a lot of people need on an ad-hoc basis. Just one thing to think about is the paperwork involved with each child. The EYFS is quite time-consuming. Also, think about the comings and goings with parents throughout the day. You may be confined to the house a lot or have children sleeping and this may wake them. Just a thought!

It's Dylways not Dlyways by the way. It actually comes under Camberwell, SE5 but isn't right in the middle of Camberwell as such. Full address is Dylways, SE5 8HP. Stagecoach, the performing arts company, hold classes there at the weekend. They always put the address as Bessemer Grange Primary School, Nairne Grove, off Sunray Avenue, Dulwich, SE5 8HP.

Mark - ?27,000 is a LOT of money so can understand your concern. Hope you get somewhere with your consultation, but to say tenants are free of any charges is wrong as they do pay rent! Your second paragraph "are we expected to pay for the social welfare...." is a bit uncalled for too.

If you're also worried about people being social and respectable in the new developments in Peckham, why are you looking to buy there? I don't think you can move anywhere in London, without being near a council estate! I grew up on one and still live just 5 minute walk from it but still feel totally "safe".

-- moved topic --

Let's hope your family never need to avail itself of such a benefit in the future, Alex. Especially as "council housing" has always been in the background. To answer your question, I would think social housing has been around since the 1940s - who else but the local council had to manage them?

Agree completely with languagelounger (you've put it much better than I could have). As said before in a previous thread about this, a few council houses and flats within 5 minutes walk of me have been sold within the last couple of years, amd there's been lots more on the auction site. They've all been sold at auction, and then done up to be sold off at a high price. But before this has all been done Southwark could have passed them on to people on the waiting list. They were all in perfectly habitable condition - no double glazing though (not all council places have double glazing) or fancy kitchen/bathroom, but then that's what gives Southwark a reason to say they need too much done to them. It's only because Southwark have let their housing stock get in such a way that they seem to justify this now. Why would Southwark do up lots of flats on the Dog Kennel Hill estate (double glazing, etc) then sell them off? How did they find the money for that?