jesska

I found my son's tutor through the PATOSS website, which has a database of accredited tutors. You have to register with an email (for free) to search in your area, but then you can contact tutors directly. https://www.patoss-dyslexia.org/SupportAdvice/TutorAssessorIndex/ Our tutor is great but unfortunately she's not taking on new students at the moment. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

I took my generally not-interested-in-theme-park-or-kids-club-camps-etc-joining children and they also loved it. They still claim to have robbed the bank... They were 7 and 9yo at the time and we managed to go on a day when most other kids had gone back to school and it was not crowded at all. We stayed the full 4 hours and in that time I was free to leave and go roam the mall a bit myself, since they have security bracelets on which mean they can't leave the site without you (and they don't need you at all, more fun to run their own show). It is expensive but you are likely to use the full 4 hrs. Sorry I don't know about any deals but maybe check groupon or similar! I would also not bother bringing very young kids.

The Dulwich Festival is inviting children of all ages to enter this year's Children's Art Competition, with the deadline of 4pm, Friday May 6th, fast approaching! There are four categories: Under 5s, 5 to 7, 8 to 11, and 12 to 18. Artwork should be two-dimensional, a maximum size of A3 and should include your child's name, age and parents' name, telephone number and email address on the back so winners can be notified. Please submit entries to R. Woodfall Opticians on Lordship Lane before the deadline this week. Prizes in each category will be vouchers to spend at the Art Stationers in Dulwich Village. Prizewinners will have their artworks displayed in the windows of R. Woodfall Opticians and also Dulwich Books. After the competition, artwork may be collected from R. Woodfall Opticians until Saturday 28th May. For more information on the competition and the Dulwich Festival please visit http://dulwichfestival.co.uk/dulwich-festival-childrens-art-competition-open-for-entries/

Another second to what JxC said. My older son went to HH until I was luckily able to move him and his younger brother to Dulwich Prep before the 7+ hit. Like JxC says, HH might be lovely in the early years but they put the screws to the kids immediately in Y1. Despite the fact that his class was tiny (18 students at one point), it didn't seem that my son was getting much attention and his reports focused solely on the negatives and what he COULDN'T do (I can only assume they wanted to freak us out into putting more pressure on him at home). The only kids to go to the good schools were at the top of the class and I know for a fact many of them were tutored on top of schoolwork. My son is much happier at the Prep and he has really blossomed due to the positive atmosphere and, frankly, patient approach to the development of boys (whilst still keeping high academic standards). I also found the Head at HH not helpful or friendly, although mainly the teachers are very good and supportive of the kids. I hope that helps - I just think there is a big difference between HH at the kindergarten stage and post Y1... Good luck.

In the past I have gone to the West Dulwich Bakery on Park Hall Road. They can order any size cake you wish and you can provide a picture to have printed on it with edible ink. I basically emailed them my photo and they sorted it, usually within a week or less. It might be a less expensive option than the cake in the above (you can always find pictures online for free at least). Happy birthday to your little girl btw.

I took the nappies off both my boys at night shortly after they were trained for the daytime, so by 3yo for each. They wet the bed a bit, sure, but it wasn't that long before that was sorted and using a double or triple layer of waterproof sheets meant that it was a quick job to whip off the wet ones. I would suggest you just stop lifting him. He will wet the bed to start, as he is probably in the habit of going when you lift him (ps I had never heard of "lifting" before your post). But it won't last forever and he'll be sleeping through dry before you know it. I know I will be flamed but I don't think you need to keep kids in nappies at night until they are absolutely dry. The thought of a 5yo or older in night nappies makes me feel a little bad for the kid... It's only wet sheets for a few weeks, nothing to really dread and their bodies can certainly adjust if you give them a chance. good luck, sounds like you are mostly there!

I second a lot of the good advice on here, but would add that it might help to just be going in one direction (into bed!) after bath time. So bath, teeth, then stories and chats in his bed. If bath is at 7 then aim to be in bed with him reading stories by 730 and then have chat time but set the timer on your phone or have another way of marking the end of chat time. Talking and digesting the day together is great time spent for lots of reasons, and I find that if I give mine time to do that (within reason) they settle better. But I feel for you: I had a similar problem when my youngest was 2 and in a big bed. We also resorted to a "grab bag" of small toys he would be able to reach into in the morning after a good bedtime (whilst being very specific about what that was - reiterate that bedtime means going to bed, closing your eyes and going to sleep). The grab bag was necessary with his older brother too, who would go to bed nicely but then migrate to our (small) bed at around 3am to squirm and mangle us! It won't happen overnight, but, as iclaudia says, the bribery won't have to last forever. I won't lie though - I had a lock on the younger one's door for particularly bad nights where he wouldn't settle down, and the threat of him being shut in was a good motivator also. You have to protect your sanity, especially if there are other children who might get the same idea. Mine are now 5 and 7 and bedtimes are fine. Just remember that routine is your friend and an intensive but brief campaign of bribery can help you reset the routine to something that works for you. Good luck!

I've said this before on another thread, but I am a driver and also an occasional cyclist who occasionally cycles on the pavement. With my kids, we are always cycling on the pavement, and always for safety reasons. When it is just me on my little clapped-out theft-proof folding Raleigh, there are times when it is either safer or more considerate for me to cycle very slowly on a sparsely populated pavement than gum up traffic on a narrow road. Of course I am not going fast, and of course any pedestrians coming have right of way and I am very happy to stop and let them pass if it's too snug to stay on the bike. We used to live in Tokyo, where cyclists overwhelmingly ride on the pavements and, despite the density of pedestrians and cyclists using one space, this works because people are simply much more considerate of one another. The lack of consideration and common sense, among certain drivers and cyclists alike, is the real problem in London.

I had lots of 12hr flights with two under two when we lived in Japan. I didn't use bottles on our flights, so I'm sorry I can't tell you for sure what the milk situation will be, but this forum post discusses options (looks like you might want to stock up once you are through security?) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1277640-got-milk-drinks-toddlers.html My main tips are bring lots of little NEW playthings, snacks galore, and allow them to play on your ipad/iphone/watch tv until the cows come home if they are up for that yet. Mine rarely slept during those flights and it was truly exhausting (in pre-iPhone days). But you will eventually get there and it will be fine. Oh and feel free to ignore anyone who dares to give you the hairy eyeball for bringing children on a plane. good luck!

In Dulwich tonight a young man came to the door with a big basket of cleaning supplies etc for sale for charity. We have had a few people call before with a similar set up, and in the past I have bought some things just to get them to go away. It always seems like a hard sell and the "charities" they seem to be raising money for are always a little vague. Tonight I was fairly abrupt in telling this kid I wasn't interested this time (and frankly I called into question the pricing and quality of his stuff), so I ask you? am I a just a citizen fed up with buying dubious charity goods, or am I a jerk? He gave me quite a hard time before we finally agreed to disagree about the efficacy of his enterprise, ahem. But I feel like I shouldn't have to explain myself on my own doorstep. I said I wasn't interested (perhaps not in the nicest possible way) but that should have been the end of it, right?

At the risk of catching boatloads of flak...can I just say that we lived in Tokyo and I've got the mama-chari bicycle to prove it, and the reason why so many cyclists and pedestrians can get along together on the pavements there is plain old consideration for others. No one speeds, pedestrians look out for bikes and give way, and everyone gets where they are going safely. I cycle on the pavements here when I feel it is too unsafe or, frankly, inconsiderate, to drive on the road. If the pavement is practically empty, why should I slow down traffic or worry about cars passing me within inches on a narrow road. I go slow, I give way and if there is ever a situation where the pavement is too busy or too narrow for me to fit, I get off and walk it. On my current bike I take up no more room than a mum pushing a pushchair. I just think everyone - motorists, cyclists and pedestrians - should try to think of others a bit more instead of their perceived right to the road/pavement/etc.

I haven't read through all the responses, so apologies if someone has mentioned this before, but several months after my second was born I started feeling increasingly irrational and anxious about everything (much more than just the postpartum emotional roller coaster, and eventually I discovered that my thyroid was barely functioning. I'm sure that not all people who have underactive thyroid experience anxiety and vice versa, but it is a good thing to have checked just in case (and also all those B vitamins). I hope you can get some help, in any form. You are certainly not alone.

I have one of these Japanese bicycles with a front and back seat and a battery to assist on hills. Sadly I have not found anywhere to buy these in Europe and I brought mine back with me with the rest of my worldly goods. I'm not quite ready to part with mine yet, otherwise I would hand it over... http://www.angelino.jp/lineup/assist/angelino_petite_posh/

Absolutely, which is why I tended to think, in my case, someone was just trying to off-load some ripe product... but there must be some mobile fishmongers out there. To be fair, the guys she bought from have a website that looks legit to me.

Hi there, just wondered if there is anything sinister about the guys who periodically knock on your door selling fish? The first time it happened to me was a Monday, so I said no thank you and have decided I'd rather not generally buy from unsolicited sellers. But a friend of mine in another area apparently bought a lot of fish from one of these guys, and paid by bank transfer (which does indeed seem weird), and now is worried that it is some sort of scam. Any thoughts? thanks!

Thanks everyone these are some good ideas. Amydown, you reminded me of the transport museum which is actually doable in the two-on-one scenario, and I may just stick around. Perhaps the weather is putting me off...thanks again!

I'm at a bit of a loose end this weekend with my husband away and was thinking of taking the kids somewhere close-ish to London for a one-day or overnight adventure. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have a car but have not taken too many trips out and about. My boys are 3 and almost 5 and good travelers. Thanks in advance for any ideas!

We have lots of experience of long haul flights with one and then 2 kids (try 12 hrs!). London --> Nyc won't be too bad. Once there, you will basically be ready for bed at 8-9pm in the evening and then up around 4am to start (with the nighttime routine likely the same). For a one week trip I wouldn't worry too much. You will probably adjust by about an hour or so everyday, but as your daughter is so small, she might adjust faster than you. Your first day there, just sleep when everybody is sleepy and then after that just go about the day as you would normally. There are lots of things in NY that will be open early, so that is a bonus. And I would just pick the flight that is most convenient and least likely to make YOU tired. On a night flight you won't get a good night's sleep so you will arrive tired, which is not ideal. And you may feel stressed about the baby waking other passengers...or not. I find that the people who give you the hairy eyeball because you bring a child on an airplane are also the most likely to be loud/obnoxious themselves and wake them up if you do get them to sleep, so I have stopped caring. Good luck anyway and just enjoy your trip. Everything will sort itself out again when you are back.