louise.flynn

Yet another recommendation for Aria! Called in the morning and he was here by lunchtime - fixed the hot water in no time!

Hi everyone, I have 2 Lou Lou Ghost Children?s chairs that I am selling. They are very stylish and can be used inside or outside. They are a pale lilac / see-through colour like the link below. Perfect height to go with kids tables and pretty much indestructible! https://www.nunido.co.uk/kartell-lou-lou-ghost-child-s-chair-violet.html I would prefer to sell as a pair so ?35 each or ?50 for both. Pick up from Dulwich Village Materials: polycarbonate Dimensions: W39.6xD36.5xH62cm Seat height: 31.7cm Designed by Philippe Starck Suitable for outdoor use

I would look at some of the local children's centers as I have definitely seen cooking courses available! I know there is someone local (family_feasts on Instagram) that offers an after school cooking club

Depending on where you need to work there is a new place in town called Cuckooznest. Its very flexible, you have onsite childcare next to their flexible working space and you can go to meetings offsite too. It's not cheap - a day works out at around ?100 for childcare and a desk but could be worth it longterm if it has a positive impact on your career.

Hi, My daughter turns 4 in March and we are having a ballet themed party. I'm looking for someone who can come for a few hours on Sat 16th dressed as a ballerina (preferably swan lake themed!)in north Dulwich. I have asked around in the local ballet schools but lots of the teachers have classes.. so now looking for a drama student or even just a bubbly girl who loves ballet. The idea is for the person to welcome the girls to the party, have a photo with them and then help out with games. I will organise the games so no need to lead activities. Happy to pay a student ?20 an hour. Please PM me if you think this suits. Louise

Space? There is loads of space stuff at Tiger at the moment!

Dulwich Village Pre-School is a little gem. The children are always so happy and nurtured. They are quite flexible and do morning / afternoon sessions. They do have some sessions that are full so i would suggest calling to see if the session you want is free before applying.

Hi, Strange question but is anyone planning on having a shark themed birthday party soon? I have seen a big shark photobooth prop on eBay. It's ?40 and i need to collect from Essex - wondered if anyone wanted to go halves and have it after we are done? I will also have a large number of shark inflatables and blue ball pit balls if anyone wants them! Please PM me Louise

Do you have a theme /gender? How many people is the cake for and when is the party?

Has anyone heard / used this flexible creche with co-working space? http://www.cuckooznest.co.uk/ It is in Clerkenwell so perhaps not so useful for a majority of ED parents but i think its a great idea and i would love to have something like this around here

Hi, Does anyone have any ideas about where to look for a quiet place to work 1-2 days a week locally? I work 3.5 days a week but need to travel at least once a week out of town. It?s just too noisy at home as we don?t have a spare room I can work in and I have 2 preschoolers around! Looking for somewhere close to ED or Dulwich village.

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Hi, I was looking at a last minute break to Center Parcs but i am astounded at how much it costs.. It wasn't accommodation necessarily but the cost of the activities (?30 for a creche session? I have 2 kids so is that ?60 for them to play for a couple of hours??) Any advice on alternatives? Is it worth it - should i just take the plunge and go? Louise

There is 20 months between my toddler and my baby and they have shared a room since he was about 6 months old. You will be surprised what toddlers can sleep through! Don't worry about it too much as i found that my baby actually slept better out of my bedroom. I found that he would wake me by just moving about in his sleep and that i would disturb him too. Once he was in with his sister, this didn't really happen with the two of them. Now they are a bit older i sometimes catch them babbling to one another in the morning and its really sweet to see them have such a close bond. Any questions, please feel free to PM

My daughter goes to Dulwich Village Pre-School. Its a beautiful setting and the staff have been there for years. She has just turned 3 and does 3 mornings a week (they are quite flexible as long as they have space - i know certain days are busier than others). Please PM if you want more info. Louise

Hi, I work for Accenture - a global management consultancy. I have just come across this new initiative that i thought i would share as it could be a wonderful opportunity for a mum who has taken a few years out of work and wants to get back into a profession. https://www.accenture.com/gb-en/Careers/technology-returners-programme Happy to share experiences if needed via PM. Hope this helps someone! Louise

Hi, I am finally getting around to addressing what was supposed to be a New Year's resolution.. I would like to join a local cooking / baking class. Are there any suggestions? I work part time so an evening class would be preferable. Thanks, Louise

I had 2 births at St Thomas. However both were at the midwife led centre which i believe is a very different experience to the standard ward. If you are planning on having a natural birth (i know emergencies happen and you may not have a choice!) then i cant imagine anywhere better. It always seems so peaceful and no-one makes you rush. I had a water birth with my 2nd and there was never a question of having to wait which i believe can be an issue at Kings. The view is so beautiful and waking up with your newborn and seeing Big Ben is so special! Happy to discuss further if needed via PM

https://capturedontherye.com/ You can take your own food etc

I booked the Francis Peak recently - its ?56 an hour. You need to factor in the setting up and cleaning time so it gets a bit pricey.. If you were flexible about bringing your own food - the lordship pub are great and do children's party food at ?5 a head

Thanks for the advice everyone. Will try gro clock/reward chart but also try not to stress about it so much!

Hi, My daughter is almost 3 and has generally been a good sleeper. However, my husband has been working long hours and frequently working away for the last 6 weeks and her sleep has really changed. Most nights she will go to her own bed but will get up every 15 minutes with various excuses and asking to sleep in my bed. I have given in out of frustration in the past and let her sleep in my bed (it doesn't seem to matter whether i am in bed next to her or not). She also shares a room with her 1 year old brother and after a few attempts to get up and when i have put her back in her own bed, she starts to disturb him. If she does manage to sleep in her bed she will often wake early and creep into bed besides me. I have returned to work part time recently and that might be having an impact. I have tried being firm, i have tried being understanding but its still happening... (fyi, when my husband or my parents put her to bed she sometimes fusses but is generally better.. however i am on my own most of the time so i need to sort it out myself). Any advice / anyone who has been through something similar? Louise

I feel for you as that sounds so hard. Before you go down the (very expensive!) private sleep consultant route i would suggest going to your baby clinic. I know that there is a local-ish sleep specialist (i think she might be in Tulse Hill..? Im sure if you were to push your health visitor you could get an NHS appointment with her. She ran a sleep workshop at Rosendale Children's centre once so if all fails, maybe call them and see if they have her details. Good luck!

Gift vouchers for a local restaurant. It's hard to justify spending money on yourselves after a baby and a few months in they will desperately need a night off!! Everyone will get them baby things and you just dont need that much (especially when you live in a flat).

Also looking but for March so following with interest!