Fi from West Dulwich

Another recommendation for Nick and his team from Minns and Langton - the perfectly housetrained decorators: friendly and helpful but didn't spend hours chatting; got on with the job in super quick time, made a special effort to fit us in in order to get our house ready in time for an Open Day, made their own tea...we were so impressed at how efficient and unobtrusive they were. We'd definitely use them again and recommend them to others.

A quick update to say that there is a new weekly schedule of Natural Childhood activities as the group grows, which sees the Magic Circle in Brockwell Parl moved to its original day of Wednesday in order to fit in a new session in the nature reserve at Myatt's Fields. Please see the website http://www.naturalchildhood.co.uk/about-us/what-we-do/ to find out what is going on and where and join the facebook group http://www.facebook.com/groups/naturalchildhood/ to receive updates on any changes to dates or times. Thank you.

Oh no! sorry, do hope you will come another time on a Tuesday morning. If you - and indeed anyone else interested - wants to keep up to date with the group do please request to join the Natural Childhood facebook group.

Hello, oh sorry, am not sure where this is but will have a look. For now we are meeting on Tuesday mornings, although not next week because of the Bank Holiday. Hopefully we might see you there the week after perhaps. Sorry for the confusion.

That would be lovely, we had a blissful morning there today, in the sunshine. It would be great to see you there next week.

For all those who have previously expressed an interest, the Natural Childhood website is now up and running. Created by parents, for parents, Natural Childhood provides information and a social hub for families looking for opportunities for natural, child-led play and learning in and around Dulwich. If you are interested, do please join our Facebook group and follow the blog on the website. Also, please note that our weekly outdoor play group the Magic Circle, will be happening tomorrow, Tuesday, instead of Wednesday morning, from 10am at the log circle near the Lido car park in Brockwell Park (and possibly heading up to the sand and water area if the sun shines). For more information see the original post about the Magic Circle.

I did wonder afterwards whether my flippant, typed in haste post would be misconstrued - I didn't mean the mothers of those who sleep are all inherently smug, I meant that SOME mothers I have encountered were, I hate to say it, rather smug about it but that the reality was often rather different - case in point, the friend who replied to my email about how exhausting it was with a newborn to say that she was getting more sleep than before her baby's birth. This left me feeling dreadful, completely alone and unsupported and yet a conversation two years later revealed the truth, that she had regularly sobbed on her husband's shoulder when he returned from work saying that it was all overwhelming and that she was on her knees. Those sorts of competitive mothers do little for maternal solidarity in my view but of course I don't think that those with babies who sleep are all smug, I just think they are lucky and good luck to them. And as for their children doing vile things, I simply meant to show, again probably rather too flippantly, that all children do wonderful and tiresome things at different stages, if a baby is a great sleeper they might give their parent's a rough ride when they are two or a teenager, and the baby who never sleeps might be the sunniest soul in the world when awake; motherhood is swings and roundabouts in my experience. I would hate for this post, meant to raise a smile from a sleep-deprived mother, to turn into an EDF battle and it was absolutely not my intention to cause any offence. I'm off to have my cold scrambled eggs and to stop ignoring my three year old whilst I type. Pickle Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Fi from West Dulwich > > > Ignore the smug sleeper mothers, > > their children probably do vile things when > they > > are awake, or they're simply lying. > > I'm sorry, but this is bordering on ridiculous. > At no point have the "smug sleeper mothers" > criticised those of you posting on this thread so > why the attitude? Are those of us with children > who sleep somehow at fault? > > My children sleep, they don't do vile things and > I'm not lying. Not all children sleep well, I > know that, but I take offence to the tone this > thread is taking.

IT GETS BETTER, I PROMISE! Not necessarily their sleeping, my three year old hasn't slept through a whole night once in his entire life, but we just don't worry about it and as we always co-slept he just pops in with us and off he goes again to the land of nod. Ignore the smug sleeper mothers, their children probably do vile things when they are awake, or they're simply lying.

Hello Echo, it would be great to have you along. I hadn't even heard of Myatt's Fields until now but have found a website and it looks like a really lovely space, I'm sure that you/we could do something similar there. Perhaps it is easiest if you come along to the Magic Circle in Brockwell Park and we can chat about it? If you let me know in advance if you are definitely coming I'll make sure I am there and look out for you. echo Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > sounds great, I'll try to start coming after > Easter. > > Do you think a simular group could be started in > Myatts Fields?

Hello Nylonmeals, yes, this group happens each week regardless of school terms/holidays, the only exception may be the odd break when everyone is away over Xmas etc, but I'll give people notice if that is the case. Hope to see you on Wednesday.

Oh well done for finding it Damzel, I realised afterwards that the link didn't work but if anyone else is reading it, look on Facebook for Nature Play South East London. I won't be there this week but we ordinarily go religiously, and the usual crowd are very, very nice so I/we hope to meet you there soon perhaps.

Hello Damzel, sorry the day doesn't work for you although if you like the sound of this you may want to try Nature Play in Dulwich Woods on Thursday mornings, it shares the same ethos and many of the same people from the Magic Circle go to it: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nature-Play-South-East-London/207738685928324

Ooh please do come and see us again soon!

Thank you Clare, I completely agree - giving the children the space and scope to run wild also gives the mothers more chance than usual to relax and chat; because the log circle is not a playground with climbing equipment there aren't any particular safety issues other than the need for common sense, so mothers can actually sit down for once rather than hovering for fear of falls.

The Magic Circle is an outdoor, child-led play group held in the log circle near the Lido car park in Brockwell Park. You won't find any soft play equipment, toys or structured activities but you will find free range children hopping along logs or poking sticks in the mud. Sometimes the children lead us outside of the log circle to some of the nearby natural features of the park, like the wood chip 'mountain', the 'jungle' area by the miniature railway or just to jump puddles or watch a digger. The group is a free drop-in session, open to children of all ages, from babes in arms to toddlers, pre-schoolers and home schooled children, which once again meets on Wednesday mornings (not Tuesdays, as it has done in recent months) during term time and holidays, at 10.30am or thereabouts in the log circle, unless it is very wet (when bitterly cold we have also been known to retreat to the Lido Cafe for hot chocolate). There is no fixed end time, people are free to come and go as they please and the group tends to last until around or shortly after lunchtime. Bring some snacks, water and a picnic rug and enjoy the chance to sit and chat to other parents whilst your child benefits from unstructured play in the fresh air with children of different ages. The logs themselves not only provide a natural perimeter for the group but are also wonderful play props, becoming trains, rockets, diggers or refuge from shark infested waters, and such natural environments help in the development of children's balance, strength, spatial awareness and co-ordination. Like all play groups, each parent is responsible for their own child at all times, although the topography of the area lends itself well to letting the children roam outside of the circle whilst still remaining in sight of the adults. We also have another outdoor play session in the Nature Conservation Area at Myatt's Fields Park on Tuesdays from 10.30am. For information on these events and others organised by the Natural Childhood initiative please visit the website http://www.naturalchildhood.co.uk/about-us/what-we-do/. Created by parents, for parents, Natural Childhood provides information and a social hub for families to get together for natural, child-led play and home schooling events in the Dulwich area. Please do get in touch if you have any questions or contact me, Fiona, on 07813 123 535 if you want to locate the group should we have wandered away from the Circle.