budur

yes you can get them for summer too, there is a group or two on the Facebook - like Find an au pair or Family, someone will add you in and there are few that are looking for a summer placements. It's stressful though as many do not reply, do not show up for Skype interview or even a real interview, so you need some patience good luck!

I did the packing myself as had to sort out things we don't wear any longer, what goes into storage, what we need immediately, what can be left in the boxes in the loft etc. I had help as my aunt was with us at the time, couldn't have done it without her. Kitchen I left completely to the removal guys though, just put the things that would go into storage separately.

Playmobil factory (followed by dinner in a fish village, forgot the name of it) and a Victorian fort where the guys were wearing old uniforms, had a few talks on swords and the greatest bit was a display of their skills on horses (saved from slaughterhouse). Both were great days out with kids.

If not too many I would take them to Chatham Docks, it's great there, I enjoyed it as an adult as you can get into the real submarine and a war ship (smaller than HMS Belfast), a great day out, lovely big caf? for a cake afterwards. Nights at the National History Museum also starts from 8 year olds. And you can be a keeper for a day at Port Lympne, or just take kids there, we went there a few times, not cheap but also very very good (safari in Kent with the animals), it is an animal sanctuary so they will learn a lot too. Sorry, no entertainer ideas for the older ones, I still invite the whole class but from 8 I think a day out with a few friends would be great fun and would be so different from the usual parties.

I trying to find a place to hold drinks/canap?s evening for friends, say for about 30 people, Clapham would be better I think for other people out of the area to get to and convenient enough for Dulwich lot. Any suggestions for a private room? I looked at a few online but these are either loud bars or rooms in pubs/restaurants with very high minimum spends. Central London would be ok too I think but more local would be easier. Any suggestions are appreciated, thanks!

We are moving house to a rented place where both kids need to be in the same room in a bunk bed which they are very excited about (7 and 4). Any tips? Hopefully we will buy something in a year or so one bed of a bunk can be used by a younger one (so can get something decent) and we already have a nice single bed for an older one once they'll get their own rooms again. The one I like has 75 cm between the bottom and the top beds minus matress, is this enough? Going for the wooden one. Anything else to be aware of? Would be great for any advice. Also mattress suggestions. Thanks!

Interesting, been asked by reps to contribute to teaches gifts second time round in this school year and I think the amount is too much (private school). Very happy to contribute to gifts but think parents can put in what they want or not (like at work the envelope and card go around). May just do my own thing, teachers are wonderful and I would like to give them a little present.

I have one in each. One finishing HH and the other in nursery in Ducks. Ducks: purpose built school with great facilities, great teachers although we have 3 in total and in HH we had 4 in each class so lots of attention.however there are things that HH does better. One thing that annoyed me at Ducks was the start of the year when kids start gradually on certain days and they tell you that in summer when you have already arranged your childcare so you have a few extra days of childcare to pay for on top of Ducks fees. also HH allows summer kids to do half days in autumn term, 3 days in spring and 4 in summer, so building up gradually when they are 3 and then even in reception they can go home on Friday afternoons as legally not mandatory until 5. I loved it and we had play dates on Fridays always, all parents who could took their kids out on Fridays. Ducks from this year requires all 3 year olds to go full time 5 days a week from spring term which I think for 3 year olds is too much and there is no flexibility if you want to do something else with kids in the afternoons. HH is very high pressure as they have kids only until 7 so loads of homework from year 1 when they get them ready for assessments. Teachers and headmistress are very accessible so we booked meetings early in the morning before work to discuss kid's progress. They do a few trips throughout the year but that is all included in fees. Can't say much about Ducks academicslly yet but they'll also be prepping them for 7 plus. Both love their schools and have made lots of friends. Ducks will have a new headmistress from sept (current deputy). It is a great school but maybe i just know HH better as was on maternity at the time and could get to know it better. Good luck.

Copelia ballet for kids at the Peacock theatre West end or Churchill one in Bromley, done for kids with commentary and this is the third production mine have been too, young one is 3 as well and loved it.

We are on the other side of the fence: our neighbours asked if they can use our wall (built on our side as at the time they didn't want it on the boundary). We asked our builder how much just that wall would have cost, neighbours asked theirs, the difference I think was 100 pounds, so we agreed in the middle between their quote and ours. Got the check and signed all paperwork, was all straightforward. Good luck.

I would recommend this bed protectors as one of the most useful things I got. I have cotbed size one which was indispensable while feeding at night, it's soft and feels like a fleece, but is completely waterproof. And another one would be a breastfeeding bra from Hot Milk (pretty pregnant on Northcross road were stocking them). They are so nice and lacy and I got them for my second one and feeding the baby was the whole new experience. you need to know the size though as they are not returnable/exchangeable and once you know if they'll actually be breastfeeding. I got the same size as during pregnancy, but I think some girls go more than 1 size up. got it for a couple of my girlfriends afterwards.

we didn't get an au pair decided by chance on a live-in nanny that became available but has done a lot of work on aupairworld by that time. my advice: don't start early, most don't look far ahead, 2 months before is about right. I was only looking for older university graduates as my little one is only 2 and specifically asked about experience with kids, not only babysitting but looking after kids for longer periods even though one would be in school and another one in the nursery half of the time. we also wanted to invite the one that we would choose for a weekend to London as didn't want surprises when the person will arrive and we need to go to work (one of the friend's au pairs told her a day before that she won't be coming, was a panic arranging for emergency childcare), so wanted her to be committed and comfortable once we both have seen each other. wrote a detailed description of who we are, what we do and what we would expect au pair to do (clearly stating that we have a cleaner so no heavy house work and kids would always be a priority for her). living in London a lot of them would want to come over, so you'll have plenty of choice. I liked that I can set my preferences and do a search and reply myself on that website. it does take time, so be ready for that and a lot of them just disappear, so don't get too hopeful. Skype does give you a pretty good idea of what they are like. good luck

Yes, you need to sign up to DUCKs when you get pregnant straight away. With the first one I signed her up at when I was 6 months pregnant and she didn't get in at 3 and went to Herne Hill school instead. Learned from that and the second one was on the waiting list the day I discovered I was pregnant and he's going there in September when he'll be two. This is first come first serve school/nursery. Most of others are selective, so there's an assessment when they are 2-3 years old. Good luck!

they start at 2, but there are only 20 places, so call her and ask if you have a chance of getting in.

I am limiting the age to over 22s, my kids are too young for high school graduates and as you said it may be their first time away from home and they can become homesick (and want to go back home as a result). I suppose I know what it must feel like to come as an au pair since I went to USA as a student at 17, last year in a high school as an exchange student living in a host family for a year. My English was fluent as I won a scholarship and just went to a local normal American school but even without kids to look after it was a challenge, mainly cultural, massive difference with mine, even though the family was nice. And that was at the time of no internet, e-mail, very expensive international calls and 12 h time difference with home. And pocket money was $100 a month paid by the government.