AnnaCBH

The Albany are showing we're going on a bear hunt, not a panto but might appeal?

The Talbot in Brockley have a room upstairs that they used to let you have if you were a big party, its good as you can take some toys for the children to play with and still feel relaxed if they run around. It's also at the bottom of a road leading up to Hilly Fields, if the small people do start to go stir crazy, or you need to walk off the wine- whichever comes first...

Hello, you'll only get a place if someone leaves. And then it'll be dependent on the waiting list. If you are closest to the school then they will offer you a space. Otherwise they'll offer it to everyone above you on the list. , they might or might not accept that place. If they don't then they will continue down the list, hopefully until they get to you. (They being the council) (Another caveat is siblings and looked after children, they will both go straight to the top of the list) Basically in reception spaces don't remain empty for long so it's just a waiting game. Make sure the travel from your new home to the old school is manageable until a potential space becomes available.

Wavelengths is fab, but get there early as it gets quite full up quite quickly.

Asda on the old kent road do a helium pack where you buy a canister and fill your own, I don't think they're foil balloons though.

Telegraph hill play club? Free, outside toys and inside as well- also a baby zone inside. And it's in the park so you get the best of all worlds!

The bee footmuff just zips all the way around, so zip open, wrestle child in and clip up as usual, zip back up and warm child. The footmuff is snug to the seat unit, and fixes into the chassis and under the hood so stays put without any problems. Hope this helps!

This is all so helpful, thank you for starting this thread JJSP and all for contributing!

I think asda on the old kent road do bottles of it so that you can fill your own, enjoy!

We spend up to 45 minutes (bath, story, teeth, loo, talk about the day, songs...!), but my eldest loves a dilly dally!

Kirsten's EDF name is ForestHillMum if you want to PM her x

I've just attended the weight shift class run by a nutritionist (She's on here, will let you know her moniker) and a personal trainer, 6 weeks of exercise and good food support and i'm really pleased with the results, for me it was about changing my eating habits (not eating enough good fat and living off 1000 calories per day which didn't help me lose my baby weight). Baby Strawbs can go too and the people that were on my course were really nice. They're starting one in September if you're interested. I'll be honest the first week was hard, but if you get a shop in with the right food pretty quickly you'll be ok! Vicky the personal trainer is just the right balance of pushing you and making sure you can still walk and pick up your baby the next day. They've both got kids so understand the reality of life with children. Good luck, be kind to yourself, go and buy a few new things in your current size so that you feel nice. You've just grown a baby- well done x (www.weightshiftclub.com or www.fitnessformummies.co.uk)

Babur in Honor Oak, on a Sunday they have a buffet, kids under 7 are free, food is delish, cocktails are fab too!

Have you had her hearing checked recently? her voice will appear louder to her. If she's developing a stammer, then that's something to approach entirely differently, could it be that something is going on at school friendship wise? she might be having a confidence wobble.

Trips out! When my daughter was at a day nursery she went on one trip, in a year and a half. I spend a lot of time up at Hilly Fields and there are always children from Catherine House nursery up there digging about in the mud or ambling round, whatever the weather. It's so lovely to see and made me sad that my daughters nursery didn't do that. She's now at a Nursery School and I could rave about them from dawn to dusk so she's winning now and that ok! Does your nursery have a home school book? I would always write something in my daughters that they could use to start a conversation with her about, and to jog her memory of what she's been up to, again I don't think the previous nursery ever used it but hey, I did my bit!

We are also planning one and are adding it on to an already (mostly) completed full house refurbishment. We put in bi-folding doors when we started and so don't want to loose them. Our solution is to retain them and a small part of the original outside wall, that will encroach into the new kitchen/diner and we'll build a downstairs toilet and utility there, with a small window. Hmm, not sure that I'm making sense but I'm hoping that will still leave us with a decent dining/ family room and a washing dumping room. Love the idea of a chute! Haha. I think I'd find children at the end of it, or stuck in the middle in a willy wonker style.

I might be wrong but I think that as long as a school has a place in Yr3 and 6 you'll get in. No ridiculous waiting list appeal game, it's just reception generally where there are lots of children trying to get not lots of places. Welcome home!

Simonthebeaver I was told that you do automatically go onto Lewisham's waiting lists, but only those that are higher up the list than that which you were offered. But they won't tell us where we are on the list until mid May, not sure how they can't but Southwark can. Oh it's such an anxious time hey? Grrr.

Hoppermum I've just done a bit of research and found out about steel thickness ( needs to be more than 1.8mm thick) and no of springs related to bouncability- clearly I've gone a bit too far into this! But anyway. I've got mine from trampoline warehouse, their price includes a net and ladder and free next day delivery, it's just arrived and is blocking the living room but all very exciting. We went for an acrobat plus 8foot - trampoline warehouse give a little run down of power v's response. Again I've nerded out haven't I?!

Oimissus if you're applying through lewisham you need to provide proof of address and being your child's carer at application stage, either via the post, or by scanning and emailing- or taking it down to Catford. It's such a scary responsibility isn't it. Good luck, I'm now wondering if I should change my list of preferences, such a gamble... Will it pay off?!

And I agree wholeheartedly with that, if the baby is prem all you can do to support that baby needs to be done, my concern is that is 38 +3 prem? I guess need outweighs risk with a tiny baby, it doesn't help when helpful scientists carry out research that throws my thinking in a spin!

Thank you largeginandtonic, sometimes it's hard to know how much to share to not scare but I do appreciate your response and hope your little boy will be well.

Thank you all. I had noticed the exclusion of the children that had received the injection less than 4 days prior to delivery, as my baby will, and felt slightly more relaxed about that. I agree, my child's health is the most important thing and the thought that I could prevent anything needs serious consideration. I'll call my consultant tomorrow, but thank you for taking time to share your experiences. Bubblebob I'm having my baby in Lewisham and haven't been asked about a cord scheme- I will ask though- thanks for the heads up.

I am due to have my baby via caesarean at 38 weeks + 3 days. I have been advised by a registrar to have steroid injections prior to the birth as my baby will be 'premature' (not sure that I agree with that statement)and am booked in for these next week. I have seen that there is research linking early steroid exposure to ADHD and mental health difficulties. I guess what I am wondering is have you had a planned caesarean at 38 weeks or around then and were you offered steroids? I know that NHS guidelines have changed and most c sections happen at 39 weeks these days but that hasn't always been the case. It's so hard to know what to do for the best, if the baby was coming naturally at 38 weeks I would not be offered steroids as my body would have sent the right signals to the baby to prepare for birth. Thanks in advance for any feedback! http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_22-11-2013-17-5-31 - for the summary http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0081394 - for the full article.

Hello, my daughter goes to Fairweather dance school which is in Brockley on a Saturday morning (?6.50 per class, ballet and tap), Telegraph Hill and some other areas on other days. I found them through google, or here is the email address for Alison one of the teachers; [email protected]. I'd be up for meet ups but due another baby in a week so will be pretty stay at home for a good while, but welcome to the area! Anna x