Mrs TP

Can I suggest something radical and say you let her go and go along with them. I used to hate the whole thing too (esp as you say begging from strangers) but quite look forward to it now. I managed to put our brood off when they were little but cracked to pressure a few years ago. We tend to only go to those houses we know or where there are obvious willing participants i.e. they put a pumpkin out and decorate their windows / gardens and we leave Mr TP at home handing out sweets too. All good fun and great to see everyone dressed up, having fun etc.

I don't think they do remedial work at Kings but would just take out the offending tooth. A dentist would consider saving the tooth / repair. You need to phone your local dentists and see what they say about seeing you as a new emergency patient if you want to consider saving the tooth.

The big question is - what did you call her in the end? After the v. long girls' names thread, which I see is still going.

I took mine to the Relf Rd closure (not a resident but invited by those organising). It was loads of fun but did have a few probs explaining to my 3yr old this was a one off special event and she was allowed to play in the road as there would be no cars. Has been a bit like telling your kids not to speak to strangers but then expecting them to have a half hour chat with Father Christmas at the grotto - don't play in the road / oh yeah do play in the road. There are loads of well maintained outdoor facilities in E. Dul and surrounds and don't think any extra money needs to be spent.

I know of a boy who gets the train from E Dul to Sutton Grammer and his sister gets bus from E Dul to DKH and train to Victoria for Greycoats - works for them. Early Sat starts for boy with sports matches and friends are scattered throughout SE London. Girl just recently started and seems to be coping fine. Didn't appeal to us and we have gone for a more local secondary but then the local schools didn't appeal to them. Each to their own. For me 11 is too young for this more serious commuting and I do know of one girl who has gone to 6th form at a Kent Grammar but again after doing the rest at Greycoats. You know your child and what they will / won't cope with. Mine would have coped but would not have been happy with it everyday.

Echo buggie - the eggs are only white when hatched. You need to pick them out of wet hair before hatching - they are by the root, brown and a funny elongated shape almost with a hook to attach to the hair shaft - I once thought they were bits of pollen but learnt different a few days later. Get the full marks stuff but then also go through the hair with an ordinary comb and pick out the eggs and lice - like the apes on a David Attenboro' show!

I've not seen hedgehogs in this part of town. Whereabouts are you guys? (jealous!)

Echo Mrs Bigsy - first rule of unwanted clothes gifts, put on child and take photo for thank you card - job done. If your relative or whoever has bought / made the item and genuinely thinks you will love it - don't say you've swapped it. They may try even harder next year and get it more wrong. Just be gracious and say it was lovely thank you very much and be glad your kids are young enough for you to get away with it. As they get older they actually love some of the hideous items that come their way and you as the parent have to grin and bear them wearing it - funny how many kids and grandparents tastes match up but not the parents. Presents show that someone was thinking of you and we should enjoy that element rather than be cross the pressie is so wrong. However, there are the gifts from those that do it out of begrudged duty or for some other 'odd' reason that have no thought behind them - do what you like with those. Laugh and enjoy the dross, the kids soon grow up and it passes.

sparks27 - have really noticed that ED and surrounds is a bit of a ginger 'Homeland'.

Single duvets are a pain on regular sz bunk beds if you want to make the bed. They are too big and don't tuck in because of the surrounds. I always ended up folding it in half and plonking it in the middle of the bed (well on the odd day I bother to tackle it).

Can you speak to the police as am sure it is an offence to open someone else's mail. Also the royal mail for the normal post as their staff can get in big trouble for delivering to wrong address - this needs clearly pointing out to them and they can flag it up at the sorting level for your street. Also whatever courier companies deliver to you. All good starting points but what a real major pain in the bum.

There was an ambulance up towards John Barnett shop (looking up from the Co-op) in the afternoon around 3ish. But there appeared to be a casualty in the road and I assumed RTA rather than anything untoward. However this was purely an assumption on my part and could have been something else.

When a burglar breaks into a place they grab the nearest bag / suitcase in the property and ram in all they want. I am guessing what you are seeing is discarded suitcases from such robberies. Most people leave the airport tags on their holiday suitcases until they are next going away. Always lock your suitcases in your own home that way they can't be used should the worst happen.

Do you have plans to fight it?

You can't tax one person based on another's income receipts. We are in the position where I receive the benefit and only my hubbie is a tax payer. If he is to be taxed on my income (the benefit) then shouldn't he be able to take advantage of my currently unused tax allowance? Joint income = joint tax allowance. Perhaps I will get more support for joint tax allowance than stopping the withdrawal of child benefit - I've reworked my policy, just call me Nick Clegg!

As a matter of interest what is the correct level of social poverty before one is allowed to complain? We shouldn't be bringing everyone down to the lowest common level but bringing everyone up to a decent and most importantly secure level - if I could be sure such ill thought out cuts to child benefit would achieve this then great but it's not going to happen. This time next year more ordinary people will be worse off but definitely not Mr Cameron and his buddies.

Gosh this thread has certainly brought out the good, the bad and the ugly and most disappointingly the vitriolic keyboard warriors. Fufton I am sorry to have referred to bankers above and should have left it at the super-rich. It was an unwarranted cheap shot - which is about all I can afford these days :) As others have said, it is not just about income but outgoings too. There will be those who feel they can take the hit and those that can't. Three years ago I would have gladly taken the hit but having since been made redundant we have come to rely on that money to make a significant difference to our modest but not breadline existence. Hadn't realised only those in the most direst of circumstances have the monopoly on not being selfish and being allowed to disagree with gov't policy. If caring about my family's welfare makes me selfish then I am guilty as charged. However, I am not a single issue person as some would like to think and the nasty judgements in some of the comments here reek of cyber bullying. Thanks to Chippy Minton for the link.

"Would I rather carry on recycling child benefit out of my tax bill and back into my pocket or see the money spent on things that might be better for the country as a whole? I'll give up the cash, thanks." If only it were so simple and we could be sure the money will be used wisely to benefit the whole country. How smug and self-satisfied could we all be then? What if, and even more cliche-tastic, the money saved will be used to give the bankers and super-rich additional tax breaks? I am so worried - how will we ever continue to afford Rupert's fencing lessons?

I have 3 too. I don't see this as justifying our own decisions so far but as standing up for ourselves now. The tories would love us all to fall out over this but it is about sticking together and fighting it.

Does anyone know of anyone / organisation doing anything like this or how you would go about starting it? I just don't want to sit back and take this. I don't want to start a discussion re who should and shouldn't be getting it and how lucky people are to be over the income threshold. It's not about bringing everyone down to the lowest common point, it's about preserving this universal benefit, which is not paid indefinitely but for 16yrs per child and which through all income barriers is actually used to benefit the child.

If they are old enough you can just 'chill' in the cafe area with a coffee - slightly more pleasant.

Have been very happy with this school. My eldest left in July to go on to secondary school this Sept. She was fully prepared for this transition emotionally and academically by the school. I have another in year 3 who has sailed through so far without any probs and a fantastic run of excellent teachers. Like any school it has its minor problems but anything has been dealt with swiftly and effectively. Most of the kids come from homes where basic manners and positive attitudes to learning are part of normally daily life and this is reflected in the school. Overall it has a nurturing caring attitude. There are a variety of after school clubs (for which they ask a voluntary contribution of ?1 per session). They also bring in external music tutors and offer lessons in guitar, violin, piano and probably others I am not up to speed with - these are slightly more expensive but no pressure to take them up if you don't want to. They have a strong core of experienced teachers and lots of TAs - never seems understaffed. The head and / or deputy head are usually in the playground at morning drop off and evening collection and are very open to being approached re any matters. The children mix well throughout the years and have friends in their own year groups and other year groups and always look out for each other. I was surprised by the ofstead grading but the school have responded well and are changing things this year with a different approach to homework and a few minor tweaks that probably reflect current fashions in approaches to education. My best guess is it was perhaps a bit too traditional old school for ofstead. Very happy and would choose again for older two and plan to send number 3.

Thanks to all who responded and esp to Coach Beth for the fuller description. I understand now why they are asking for it but really they only need it if you receive state benefits. Admin nightmare.

We have had a pupil detail form sent home from school, which asks for all the usual stuff; child's full name, DOB, emergency contacts etc Just turned to the parent detail page and it is asking for our National Insurance numbers and saying they are needed for the Dept of Education School Census and to determine whether or not our child is eligible for the Pupil Premium (a payment to the school) and free school meals. I am really uncomfortable with disclosing this info. You are always told to keep your NI secure and only release it to an employer. What do others think?

Are you sure that is a horse?