JessM

It's really skanky though

Hi Julia

When my daughter started there they circulated a class list with contact details at the start if the summer hols. (Obvs they asked us if we wanted to be included in it first, I don't think anyone said no, or not many anyway!). Do you know yet which class he'll be in? If its the same as us then I'd be more than happy for a play date or two in the summer.

Jess

A good usp would be to do sibling groups together -it's such a logistical nightmare to get lessons at the same time for more than 1 kid. When 1 moves up you have to completely rearrange everything or spend ages hanging about. I for one would be more than happy to get in too, especially if it meant more actual swimming for the kids rather than waiting on the side for their turn. You could have 3 or 4 families at a time and if each family had at least 1 adult in the water the teacher could circulate while the parents help their children practise what the teacher instructed.

Just a thought!

If you are thinking of trying for Alleyn's I know they will get an interpreter for the assessment.

Thanks very much!

If you're up for driving into Kent, Eagle Heights is always popular with my animal-lovers. Birds or prey, cheetahs and various reptiles.

Hi

I'm looking to get a DVD player to put in the car for long journeys. Ideally two screens (that can play the same film-I can't see my lot doing well with headphones!) that attach to the front headrests.

Has anyone got any recommendations for what type to get? Or not get?

Cheers

Jess

Voting still open!!

My tip is: get the parc services to book you a babysitter!

(Second tip is, don't bother with the Indian restaurant for your night out, we are spoilt with such lovely ones in ED and we were sadly disappointed by the one there.)

We've got a Ford SMax. It's a bit of a bus but having the 2 extra folding seats in the back is great. All 3 seats in the middle have isofix points.

Have you tried washing them on really hot with no detergent a few times? Might make them more absorbent?

This might be a bit on the negative side but it is what I think...

You basically have no choice of school anyway as it's so dependant on where you live, so it hardly matters if you see the schools or not.

I spent considerable time & effort seeing schools when I was applying for a place for my son and on the basis of that did not put down the school that was closest to us on the form at all, instead listing other nearby schools I would have wanted him to attend. When the places were allocated we therefore were not offered any of the 6 schools I put, or even the nearby one I didn't like, but one really far away that was failing. Stupid of me, I know, but I believed what they said about there being an element of parental choice. Who knows where we would have ended up with the waiting lists and bulge classes etc, but we went private and ultimately moved house.

Good luck to everyone applying now - learn from my mistake and put your nearest school as number 6 even if you don't like it! (You'll still be on waiting lists for schools 1-5 even if you accept the unwanted place at no6.) At least you'll be able to walk there!

my daughter started there in September. She loves it. I think it's great. Very caring and dedicated staff. Great opportunities in music, sport too.

Worst thing about dining hall issue is having to make blinking packed lunch!!

My son is at Alleyn's. their spellings are around the "sound of the week" and they either get 6, 8, 10 or 12 depending on what group they're in (as far as I can tell!)

So the other week they did "ow" and the words were show, flow, blow, know, follow etc

I think we've had "ee," "ay," "oy" and "igh" as well.

I can second that! Hooray for Nicola!!!

does anyone have their milk delivered?

If so, please could you give me the contact details of the people who do it?

Now that all 3 kids are chugging through cows milk at a rate of knots I can't be bothered to go to the shop as often as I do!

My son is an August boy (11th) so last year when he was in reception he was the youngest in the whole school. I was quite worried about this! (In fact I was worried from when I found out my due date..!)

When he started reception last September, the teacher was very aware of issues with the range of ages in her class and planned accordingly. She had seen it all before many times I suppose! They also did a very slow staggered start to the year, which I think helped him a lot, and after lunch they had a lie-down rest listening to story CDs every day until xmas. Even though he had dropped daytime naps just before he was 2 this really helped him - sometimes he actually slept. He definitely started reception behind some of the older ones on things like pencil grip and concentration span, but like I say the teacher was very sympathetic and he probably got quite a lot of extra attention along with the other summer-born kids. He probably was still behind by the end of the year but it wasn't nearly so glaring when you looked at the "art-work" on the walls! (When he started he had only just begun to draw things that were recognisable as a person/house/whatever and there were some - mainly the girls - who were obviously streets ahead developmentally.)

So, now he is in year 1 and finding it much harder to adjust that when he started school last year. The curriculum is very different. In reception, nearly everything was done through play, much like it is in nursery. He had the illusion of choice of activity and there was almost no written work (except in English obviously!) In year one it seems to be much more a "formal" education - they have an assigned seat and they all work on the same type of thing. He complains there's no playing.

I say this because I think if you miss out reception entirely it might be a horrible shock for your little one to start in year 1. Reception is deliberately a transition between play-based learning and more formal "work," they gradually increased the amount of sitting down working time throughout reception and even so it has been a shock to my son. (Judging by what his friends' parents say, it's a shock for all of them!) I'm glad he's getting the shock (if he has to - debatable I suppose as we are always told the Europeans start school much later and get better results) in an environment he is completely secure in, with other children he knows etc. The year 1 teacher is also taking the age differences into account I'm sure. If you keep your daughter at home/at nursery etc she might not get this managed transition that there is at school.

I found it hard "letting go" of my boy just after his 4th birthday and sending him to school did seem to suddenly mean he wanted to watch Star Wars rather than CBeebies, but I am glad I did. He loved reception, I'm sure he will love year 1 given a couple more weeks to settle in!

Anyway, that's my perspective!

PS Even if you do mainly put "dream schools" down on your list make sure you put your nearest one down as 6th choice. Otherwise you may not get any of your 6, and then they will just offer you your nearest school which is not oversubscribed and in all likelihood it will be miles away as well as rubbish! Most schools round East Dulwich are oversubscribed, I had a friend that was offered one on the other side of Peckham because she didn't put down their nearest school (in Camberwell not ED but same system).

Really good luck

x

Jess

It's quite expensive, but Oranges and Lemons (is it still called that? Also called Pretty Pregnant?) on North Cross Rd is good for jeans. I "invested" in a pricey pair and lived in them so it was worth it. They also have a website. If you're looking for something for an occasion it's good too, the staff are very very helpful.

My advice would be, especially if you are planning more than one kid, don't skimp on bottoms. Tops are fairly easy to come by and fashions change quite a bit, but if you find a skirt or pair of trousers that fit you, are comfy, and at least slightly adjustable, buy in more than one colour. You'll probably wear them longer after the birth than you think!!! I find I can wear trousers over and over before I'm bored with them but need more changes of tops.

Blooming Marvellous range at Mothercare is quite good.

JoJo have a much better range online than in the shop but their sizes come up large. Try on in store to gauge your size then buy on the website.

Gap maternity.

Topshop.

I got some H&M maternity tops that stopped fitting after I was about 6 months preg so be careful there!

I got one from Mothercare - quite reasonably priced but came up quite small. When I buy again I'll go a size up to fit more jumpers etc underneath - was fine for a wet warm day but won't take us into the Winter.

My daughter is loving Herne Hill School.

An advantage is she can stay until end of year 2 if that's what we decide.

A disadvantage (for me!) is that she has to take packed lunch when she does a full day.

plus if you go to a school nursery you have to shell out for uniform which you may only use for a year.

Just a comment with regards laundry:

Try an EcoEgg. God only knows how it works, I was sceptical but gave it a try and has been fine for the last 6 months or so. It's not detergent, it's got these odd pellets inside. You can get them at karavan on Lordship Lane and possibly at Jojos too.

I'm a rubbish mum too. My 11 month old fell down the stairs yesterday. As far as I knew he couldn't climb up them, but off he went and down he came! (luckily just lots of crying and a bump on his nose) He hasn't even learned from his mistake, he had another go today! I'm going to have to take the bannister off to fit a stairgate though. Aaargh. When i was a kid my sister went in a playpen. It seems they are totally out of fashion now but I might get one anyway!

I'm looking at booking my almost-1-year-old into some sort of active classes next term. Does anyone have any advice or comments about Tumble Tots, Gymboree or similar?

Cheers

I'm considering getting a bike trailer for the kids (1&3) to cycle around locally. Anyone got any experience of doing this? All suggestions gratefully received!

Hi all, does anyone have any wise words for us about putting a bike shed in our front garden? We are (just) inside the Dulwich Estate and I note from their website you are supposed to apply for permission. Does anyone have experience of getting this permission, or of being denied it? Or perhaps you put one in anyway without applying? I'd be really keen to know what the reality of the situation is!

Thanks