verds

Ooh yes, I'm mad for table manners. Thanks for everyone's comments - looks like we have an offer for EB so very pleased about that. I'm visiting this week, but have also done the nursery forms and had a good feeling. Parts of our family are very atheist so St Barts may have been difficult, even though it looks lovely. Otta, I'm hoping the walk up the hill will get me fit!

I'd join. I'm more journalism than poetry, but would be up for swapping ideas, etc, as I work from home for most of the week.

Thanks. Anyone else? I think we're edging nearer to getting a school place and I was talking to another mum who's in the same situation. Any tips on how to manage the move? When you tell the child, etc?

Interesting to see... we're at the other extreme. One piece of homework so far and still no reading book sent home. There was a learning objective of counting to ten, which I find a little bit modest as they learned that at nursery. I'm trying to do lots of stuff like learning the 50 tricky words they're supposed to know in the new curriculum and reading chapter books together as they're more interesting, but would love a bit of encouragement from school too!

306 Medical Centre is ace. They even have nice receptionists who make sure children get appointments, most unlike DMC.

We moved house six months ago and are on the waiting list for schools in Sydenham. My little one's about to go into year one and I'm hoping there'll have been some movement on waiting lists over the summer, but Lewisham say they can't tell me until the beginning of term. So now I'm not sure whether she'll go back to school as normal to start year one, or whether we'll get a place somewhere else. Has anyone else moved at the beginning of year one - and how did it go? Does it take them long to settle? She's very outgoing, but took months to settle in reception! Also, any opinions on Kelvin Grove, Eliot Bank and St Barts from parents with children about to start year one?

Wise parents, do you know if children need PE kit for year one? I can't find any info about it. And if the answer's yes, does anyone know what they need for Heber? Thanks

Try the GDND Academy. The fabulous Miss Dannii does a really good street dance class at Dulwich Leisure Centre - think it's on a Mon pm. My little girl went and we've also done their Frozen workshop. It's fun but also quite disciplined, which the kids love.

Aw, that's horrible - you know what's best for your baby! Mine loves to kick off on the bus and once she gets going no amount of distraction, patting, shushing, snacks or toys work so if I need to get somewhere I just have to grit my teeth. I do end up saying things like: "Nearly hooooome" which makes no difference at all to her but makes other nosy passengers feel better.

You can never have too many ice cream options. Love a bit of Oddonos. Sugar Mountain is the rather ace sweet shop in Forest Hill. I'm chomping on one of their pink mice as I type.

We have a system where you can put the 'home' setting on, so no-one can get in or out of windows and doors, but you can move around inside all the rooms. And then when we go out, we put the full system on with sensors. Which means a small person can't wander downstairs at night and set the whole thing off! I also heard bad reviews of ADT, with their yearly maintenance fees. We used a local company - Home Security Services in Kirkdale, Sydenham, and they weren't too pricey and very helpful.

Phew - thanks for all your green-fingered help

Yeah, Japanese Knotweed is more than a rumour in my garden as the previous occupiers claimed they didn't know of any - then the neighbours told me it's rife and they couldn't get a mortgage because of it. That's why I'm questioning every weed!

Does anyone know what this weed is that's just poked up from under my decking? With rumours of Japanese Knotweed in the area, I'm on high alert! Thanks

Oh wow, I was obsessed with Masquerade when I was little! I think the hare was in the V&A at one point. Not much use, but what an amazing thing to have.

Boring question, but... is it open again yet? Traffic chaos (even more than usual) this morning due to what looked like a burst water pipe. BBC is still saying closed, but wondered if anyone had noticed.

Thanks - I need a 'Like' button for all your posts. They're making me feel much more calm. That and the fact that I've bought a mini-prossecco for the train!

Thank you - that's so good to hear! I must admit I'm looking forward to the solo Eurostar journey where I can read the whole paper, plus the hour and a half I have to change stations in Paris. There may also be one day where I get to chat to my parents in their garden without having to keep an eye on anyone... yesssss.

In need of reassurance or maybe a little 'Pull yourself together'... I'm off to drive my parents back from France because my dad's just been in hospital. I think I'll be gone for 3 or 4 nights and I can't bear the thought of how I'll feel without seeing the crazyfaces of my two children (5 and 2) in the mornings. (I once left the eldest for 2 nights and never did manage to get in the mini-break spirit!) How long have you left yours for and how did it go?

There's an app called Pages, which you can use and then convert it to a Word file.

Sydenham Wells was on today - very quiet too

Mine's nearly two and a half and she's furious when she wakes up from her nap. She did nap 1-3, but I found I was waking her from such a deep sleep that it all kicked off. I now put her down a bit earlier - 12.30 - and then get her up at 2, and she's more willing to wake up then. Not sure why, but it might be worth a try!

Magic Moments is great - my little one started at 18 months. They're shut for half term this week, but I'm fairly sure they have spaces. The ladies are lovely and they're flexible on days, which is handy when you have a new baby in tow! It's 9.45 - 12.15 for a tenner.

Hello and welcome! I've just moved to Forest Hill/Sydenham from ED and was wondering who else lives up this way. (There's an SE23 forum, but it's not as busy as this one.) If there are quite a few of us, perhaps we could arrange some local mum drinks/a get-together with the children.

I'm really sorry to hear about this. My little girl went to Oak Tree and we absolutely loved it - and the staff. What a terrible shame for the lovely people who work there and all the working parents who rely on the nursery and who'll now be in a desperate situation.