VALFR59

Victoria Inn Bellenden Road (Peckham) is good with children. They have a playroom like in the Florence but it's inside the restaurant. Also, sometimes, we take with us our DVD car player and my son watch his favourite DVD when he starts to be boring (so cheeky/naughty) to be at the restaurant wich allow us a peaceful end of lunch.

http://www.maisonsdumonde.com/UK/en/ it's like an IKEA/Habitat french style if I could compare. Really famous in France, a lot of Shops everywhere in the country. I've observed they've finally start to introduce themselve in the UK, only by internet for the moment. It's a bit more expensive than the same items in France shops/website (around 10%) but still cheaper than the major london furniture shops I've found here, for this type of style of decoration/accessories/furniture. I like their Kids range with beddings , chairs/armchairs you can easily introduce in your living with keeping a style in your interior. (even if we love Peppa, Thomas &Co :) ) It Can Change a bit of Greatlittle&Co , etc. Just wanted to share one of my favourite homeshop adress with EDF families users, as I am so often happy to find here good tips on a lot of subjects! Xx Val

Another vote for Battersea Zoo: great with animals and differents playground, not too busy.if it's not raining it's nicer. the park is great and change a bit of Dulwich. Also, if you can drive, ( don't know how to go by transports)I can hugely recommend National History Museum,South Kens. It's not in the convention charge area from Dulwich.Easy to park close to the museum but quite expensive (8?/2hours).free entrance in the museum. Especially with the Dinausore room, some of them are "animated" so look like reals! . You can bring a pic nic, there is a special room dedicated. You ask at the entry desk for "little explorator" kit, (binocular, explorator hat, and a bag containing clues to find the "mysterious" animal )it's free and children are keen on it!

Definitly, Bea bop is a really great music lesson, perfectly adapted and suited for babies.It's pay as you go so We've loved to go there weekly when we arrived in Dulwich with my son, 9months old at that time. We don't go there anymore or rarely, as my son is a bit too old for that (27monthd old). Bea is a really cool girl, and children enjoy a lot all the instruments and toys she used to entertain her music lesson espacially the famous guitar! Thanks to her, I've learnt English nursery songs...as my referential was french :) Severals venues and timetables are available in East Dulwich ( Soupdragon, The plough,...) and Herne Hill (The florence ..)

Hello, It's such a great idea to introduce a foreign language at the youngest age...especially with our difficult language! thanks for choosing french :) I would recommend you to buy/borrow some french DVD cartoons/movies to introduce French until finding a funny teaching french toddler group or to complete the learning of the language. Some of Our famous characters for Toddlers in France are - Oui-Oui (noddy) - Tchoupi is really good, especially with the books which introduce a lot of basic vocabulary with pictures and short stories, -Petit ours brun. - Franklin la tortue - Charlotte aux fraises You can as well find Thomas friends,chugginton, Dora, and all the disneys movies in french. The equivalence of Cbibees is Tiji TV (you can podcast videos on their website) It has been working well in the opposite way (learning English speaking) for our son when we've arrived in London from France,one year and a half ago, before meeting english friends and finding a local nanny. I am used to go in two french books shops for my job: www.librairielapage.com : SW7 www.europeanbookshop.com : W1B 5LU for both, you can order online. They have well adapted methods to introduce french to young children, a lot of French or bilingual children's books, DVD and CD of french nursery songs.At the book shop " A la page", a colleague told me that they provide a nice french reading story session for young children once a week. As you said, children are like a sponge and I am happy to confirm that observation with our 27 months old son. As well, finding friendship relations with native french speakers, mums and/or dads with children around the same age of yours, for informals playtime and coffe is great. It has been very positive for me and my son to meet some nice english mums, now friends, open minded to my "pidgin english" and interested in french speaking,to give the opportunity to my son to have local friends. Another nice and efficient way is to employ a French au pair, by asking her to speak only in french to your children.When we will be back in France in few years, at the end of our expat contract, we will definitly choose this solution with an english speaking au pair, in order for our son to keep his english before perhaps another country discovery! Bonne chance dans votre d?marche et j'?sp?re que votre fille va bien s'amuser ? parler fran?ais :)

Hi Monkey, I know how is stressfull when our little ones are not cooperative in situation so important for their wellbeing and health! With my son, I've tried those various tricks: - Seringue (used as usual to give the " paracetamol doliprane"): more difficult to spit out the medecine for the child! You can mix in the seringue the medecine with a bit of sugar (antibiotic is liquid as usual so easy to mix).As it's a little forced action, you could give her a treat after :) - Mix the medecine with sweet (sugar or honey, depend what she likes), and put it in a plate no associate to " medeciness" in her mind (don't show her the bottle of medecine before, I observed that children are very stubborn sometimes, and refused just because they reconize the packaging, even if few months before they've appreciated the same product!) - Negociate with a treat: my son is keen on chocolate. In more than 95% it works well if I put close to him 2/3 smarties and I explain him that I know if he is a good boy, with taking his medecine, he will have the chocolate. Finally, I would recommend you to Check with your doctor for the mix between antibiotic and fruit juice (milk is more neutral but the better is water+ sugar if no pb of diabete for the child). No dangerous but perhaps could reduce the effect of medecine, as it contain a lot of antioxidant molecular and other functionnal food ingredients...(I know a bit of micronutrition and functionnal food as I am an Engineer specialised in food industry). Hope your little girl will ended very soon her infections! good luck.

Could you recommend me an efficient and good with children private doctor in the area or quite close to dulwich/herne hill? I am not in strong confidence anymore by the managment of children deseases the dulwich and lister Medecine center are providing...We had Two bad experiences on three occasions over the past 15 months. We Always had to wait between two and three visits before obtaining a "real" treatment for my toddler. they've waited the child estate get worth and worth to act. The worth has been the time, 2 months ago, when they came through a contagious childhood desease after 2 visits in a week (the third visit were successfull at the Seldoc in the dulwich hospital, after 4 drainning and painfull days for my son, when he finally received a treatment!). As a consequence of these bad experiences, Each time he has been illed, since we arrived in London, it took huge time for my son to get back to his normal estate. Brought up among parents doctors in FR, I am 100% conscient that too many medecines are not good for the immune system and antibiotics are most of time not necessary. But a good balance between "too much" as from where I come and "almost nothing" treatment I experimented here, should be perhaps nice. Except of that lack of efficiency, the team at the Dulwich and lister center were nice and welcoming. Maybe I've been unlucky with the 2 doctors I saw there! Not enough hindsight... That's why, I am thinking to find a private doctor,that I hope, could be a bit more concern to solve as quick as possible the children infections. Thanks in advance for your recommandations. You can PM me for more confidentiality if you prefer. Xx Val

Thanks a lot for your message and PM!! very helpful! I will try the diddi dance class if they have still availabilities during my days at home , and, I will continue to offer him music/dancing session at home when we are together, or over the WE :)

I am looking for a nice Modern/jazz/ street dance class or initiation to dance for my son (26 months old). He loves music, and start dancing each time the music is "boom boom" as he says! But I would like something different than the usual music lessons... Any ideas please? Something on Wednesdays or Fridays would be nice as it's the days I am not working. Thanks in advance for your good advice;-)

Many thanks for your information about the possibility to order in Dulwich at Waitrose online. I've had a look today at the Waitrose website, and Hip hip Hurray!!!! I've ordered my first basket for home delivery in Dulwich:)) bye bye Beckhenam trip :)

GIVE US A WAITROSE!!!!!!...... or a M&S it's better than nothing.. PLEASE :)) A bit boring to have to go to Beckhenam when I need a bit of festive food when I receive friends...as, sorry, people like me who are not keen on cooking by themselves all the time still exist! I don't really mind where, in Dulwich or not too far away... and perhaps we should leave Lordshiplane available for smaller shops and not another grocery shop (like a Japonese restaurant, a French Connection shop, or whatever, but that we don't have already! Anyway, a bit more variety!) Personally, I still think that Waitrose is the best quality of food supermarket, especially for ready/festive food... (sorry for Iceland and Sainsburys, which are so often out of stock for essential products, or full of nearly overpast products :)) OR AT LEAST, WAITROSE, if you hear me, COULD YOU START DOING HOME DELIVERY IN DULWICH AND NOT ONLY WITH OCADO, WHICH OFFERS LESS CHOICE THAN "WAITROSE ONLINE"...:( Maybe we should ask directly Waitrose and M&S headquarters to think about our area! But I think that if it was financially interesting for them, they probably would have already opened a store here!

ouah!!!! Thanks all for your messages &PM with a huge number of great ideas and recommandations !! that will be very helpfull!!:))

Hello, Could you recommend me a nice, affordable birthday entertainment for my nearly two years old son? We will celebrate his 2nd birthday at home with few friends and would like something funny (like a music class.art craft session but maybe more messy) to offer them during 30/45 min of the party. I've asked for a quote to my son's prefered music class but I was surprised with the price they ask (100? for 45 min) (6 children maximum, all around 2, and as usual the price is 5?per lesson in their differents venues...I've asked if they could be able to make us a better offer, but I am waiting the answer, so need to find a plan B ) Do you have any experience with this type of services? is it the current prices Music classes asked for private entertainment ? (nothing suprise me anymore, in the "crazy children business" of London). Do you have a great group to recommend me with better price? The birthday party is at the end of November,so not a lot of time anymore to find a nice and available surprise!! Thanks a lot in advance for sharing your good ideas and expericences :)

Hi Reb, If you want to have another experience more "family friendly" in France, two good adress to have a flat/holiday house inside a nice complex, full of activities for all the family and often with a nursery/toddlers club: - Club Mediterran?e: they classify the clubs compare your situation "in family/single/or in couple without child". - Pierre&vacances: Just check the feed back on websites, well look the pictures, etc. because even if it's between a 3 and 4 stars venues with the french classification, some of them need to be refurbished , for the price you have to pay for it (example not go to the "Club Med" in Corsica) See you :)) Val?rie

Hello, I can give you my feeling compare to our current expat experience.We are a French family, expat for my husband job since a bit more than year(the contract is for 4 years) It's a a GREAT and RICH experience for all the family. What a nice experience for children to discover different culture, different language speaking, and to be open minded on the world around! we arrived in the UK when my son was 9 months old. So young, he didn't take huge time to feel confortable with the english speaking.Children are so flexible clever,and they are like " a sponge" to integrate a foreign speaking language! BUT. the expat life is not without difficulties sometimes! even if the project will often make your friends "jealous" by the nice opportunity to change your life, to live a nice, not common experience(something funny behind, exotic etc). First, it depend if you have to quit your job or no. If you had a nice job here, if you are a "career" women, think about how you could feel confortable or not to stay home alone with children with no friends for the first weeks, or few months).When you can't understand what people say around you, it could be stressful. (especially when you have children and fear not be able to be understood by emergency services in case of accident, even a not too serious).It can be weird to not have family support around , to loose local good friends contacts (but if they are your best firends, they will keep iin touch with you wherever you will go in your life!)etc.. Secondly, it depend of your husband contract...if it will be a local or an Expat contract (with a lot of advantages, wich can give you the life better, espacially when it's an expatriation in a expensive city like London with crazy prices for children caring, schools, houses etc). We have friends who are expat in Istanbul since 2 years for the same company than my husband . The women enjoys it but tell me that even if a lot of people speak english, you have to speak Turquish to be integrated, to find a job, for the day to day life (shops, supermarket, etc). So check if your husband company offers a language learning package for the WHOLE famlily before and after the move.And very often it's easy to find differents clubs or organisations of your community to meet others English expats there if "you miss your roots." but it's so nice to meet local people also. I could speak pages about expatriation, as it's my current life. I love it, even if I had to make a lot of compromises on my professionnal life. If you need more informations, please feel free to PM me or if you want to discuss about it around a coffee. Kind regards. Val?rie

Many thanks for these precious advices :) It was helpfull! So, we will put a light pumpkin in front of our house for Monday. I think we will prepare a box full of sweets for children of the street and My "little ghost" son will offer it to to the kids when they will knock at the door Have a nice WE

It's the first year that I would be concern by haloween for my son, and I don't have a good knowledge of this event as we are French and in France, haloween is not really celebrated . I would like to know: - Which Weekend is haloween? this one or the next? - Do you know some children's activities organised in the aerea (party,walk in the park or something else?) And well adapt for small children as well (my son is only nearly two years old). Thanks in advance for your advice.

We pay 6?/h with a teenager girl, but we stay in ED, and go away from home after giving dinner and bath to my son We pay 9?/h with our last nanny (all charges included: food and transport). it's more expensive but she manage all (bath, dinner, make all in order around my son staff and kitchen). And I am in confidence to go far from Dulwich.(she is able to detect if he is ill, give him the medics,takes time to help him to fall sleep etc.).

We enjoyed two places with our son , who is 22 months old , the last two sunny WE - Seven Sister park East Essex : Nice walk in the "Alfriston wood" and the gardens(walk along small rivers and the sea/pebble beach after 30/40 min walking) Alfriston is a lovely small village , famous for weddings events, with differents nice restaurants. Pub George Inn good value for money and they have high chair/The Wingrove house, nice but not well adapt with children (no high chair)/ Pub it's 1.30/45 hrs from Dulwich - Whitstable, Kent: sea front less nice than the view you can find at the Seven siters but our son enjoyed watching the boats at the small port and you can walk without cars around on the sea front.At the the port ,good seafood restaurants children friendly, and the oysters were delicious.it's a fishing and harbour village. www.seewhitstable.com it's maximum 1.30 hrs from Dulwich in Kent. We will as well try in the future the suggestions of the members of EDF ...Thanks for your thread :)

Good new! Really lack of hotels or B&B in the aerea. Perfect for family visiting. Hope as well that the quality of the rooms and service will be better than the food at the Dog :)

Another Vote as well for the DECATHLON balance bike. Two models offered, and Very good value for Money. You can find a big store behind the Surrey Quays shopping center.

Hello, corsica is an amazing destination for exellent family holidays. We are now there for 2 weeks in St florent (north of corsica)with our son 20 months old . It's really better than going in cote d'azur (too busy and a bit too much "show off").I've been going there every year for 30 years as my parents have a holiday house there. South of Corsica is bettter for big beaches easy acces but more busy and "people"in some cities . Cap corsica/ balagne is more nature but the most beautifuls beaches are difficult of acces expet by boat.I can recommend you st florent/ piana golf de Porto / porticcio/calvi. You can visit Bastia or ajaccio but don't rent there (too busy it's economic cities, not holidays atmosphere). And if you go in Corsica don't forget a travel baby chair... Not often baby chair and nappies change table in The restaurants regards in London and Dulwich(it's typical of france, unfortunately ). We have difficulties to eat out of our home this year with my son. All items around children are more expensive in France (but don't be afraid all the rest is cheaper in France than in London even in Paris! ). Have nice holidays! Sunshine is sure in Corsica and the views are awesome ! If you need more information you can pm me.

Thanks a lot for your advice. Finally after 2 months of reflections, I've decided to wait a bit longer for a pre-school...are the choice are so poor because of the lack of free place/ Unbelivable waiting list, for those wich appeared greater!...furthemore, it seems to have not a lot of young Two years old in the pre-school but more 3/4 years old.As everybody share the same room + no special quiet room for the nap ...I'm afraid of the potential lack of kindness of some of the older on the youngers (even if it can be very stimulated to play with older children). I'll try the childminder of one my son's best friend from September to June and then ,when my son will turn three in November 2012, he will go to Bud pre-school (depend of my future job as Bud's closed at 3.30pm!) @roudoudou: je connais de de nom cette ?cole fran?aise car une amie anglaise de Dulwich, mari?e ? un fran?ais s'est renseign?e pour sa fille. Elle voudrait que la petite parle plus souvent le fran?ais comme sa langue maternelle sera l'anglais.Le probl?me c'est que las bas, la classe est que le matin. D'autre part, Notre cas est diff?rent car nous sommes un couple fran?ais et en contrat expatriation, donc,malheureusement, notre temps en Angleterre est compt? ? 5 ans maxi, surtout si j'arrive pas ? reprendre ma carriere ici, ce que j'ai du mal ? faire depuis 2 mois.Du coup, nous souhaitons immerger notre fils le plus possible dans la langue/culture anglaise pour qu'il l'int?gre un maximun avant notre retour en France ou vers un autre pays.Ceci au moins jusqu'au CP, ensuite il faudra qu'il int?gre un programme fran?ais pour les ?quivalences scolaires.J'ai fait le sacrifice de mettre entre parenth?se ma vie professionnelle depuis plus d'1 an pour l'opportunit? professionnel de mon mari et le confort d'un changement de vie en douceur pour notre fils. L'obejectif est de lui donner la possibilit? d'?tre bilingue...et pas gal?rer comme sa m?re avec l'anglais :) c'est super d'avoir ton retour sur Amott road Pre-school car j'ai visit? Little jungle nursery, en face, mais je n'ai pas pens? ? cette ?cole car effectivement, l'ext?rieur me paraissait tr?s v?tuste.Comme quoi, faut pas se fier aux apparences! je vais les contacter pour visiter si c'est possible.Le prix des modes de garde pour les enfants est juste fou ici pour le service en retour!Mon fils, aura 2 ans en Novembre, donc mort pour ton ecole cette ann?e apparemment.Il est inscrit pour Buds school pour janvier 2012 mais je vais decaler l'entr?e ? Septembre 2012 . J'ai peur que le passage de 100% avec maman ? la grosse collectivit? soit trop brutal donc il va aller chez une nourrice.(j'ai essayer qques mois une nanny at home mais pas evident car il sent ma pr?sence donc je dois ?tre toujours absente de la maison sinon un peu gal?re). Vous vivez depuis longtemps dans le secteur? nous sommes arriv?s en Septembre et nous aimons beaucoup l'environnement de notre quartier et les parcs.C'est top avec des enfants!

Hi super mummy's ! I'm more and more stress by the way my son will manage the time he will have to spend with a childminder or at the nursery...I'm afraid about the possibility he could be sad or feel worth in his mind as he is such a smiling/happy boy! he will start to go to the childminder of one of my mummy's friend one/two days a week in September.I know she is nice but I'm asking question about how he will feel there...does he will be scared that I'll abandon him, etc..In the same time I REALLY need some free time to progress in my job research and my learning of english language! I also think to apply for little jungle nursery for 3 others days from january/february as I hope to return to work in full time ASAP after 10 months to integrate us in this new country wich I like a lot!(we come from France).Furthemore, the childminder can only look after him two days a week so I have to find another solution for the rest of the week. He's now too old to be alone with a nanny at home as he loves to see others children! and I thought perhaps it's harder to stay home without me than to be without me in a different place . My son stays with me until now (he is 20 months old). we had a nanny , 2 days a week but quite difficult for him to adapt when he felt my presence at home (as I had to work my english )...we have now an au pair for July but even if she seems very kind when she comes home he says to her "bye bye", doesn't want to make her a kiss before I ask him to do it at least 10 times and I ask him not be rude etc...So when they are at home, I have to go away if not he's screaming for "maman"!! when I come back, at the end of the day, he is in good mood and kind with her....It's weird because my son is very friendly and sociable.For example when we are at some music lessons, he doesn't want to stay around me and prefers dancing, saying hello to ohters mummy's and children... Have you ever been in my situation with a toddler? If yes can you share your experience on how your child had accepted the change in his life? and advice to manage that situation in the better way for him! Thanks a lot :))

Same than Polly D, if you don't need before 3/4 days, I've bought nice cake and room decorations and party bags for the first birthday of my son at www.partypieces.co.uk They were reliable have fun:))