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I bought this about four years ago and my now 6 year old still plays with it almost every bath time. Every other bath toy has either got mouldy or become boring but this is brilliant. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B004QTQ44W/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1479983024&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=bath+toy+fishing+boat&dpPl=1&dpID=41vGAkWr11L&ref=plSrch I remember it being a lot cheaper than the current Amazon price so might be worth shopping around.

Also it's worth borrowing as much stuff as you can for your first trip. once you've done it once you will have a better idea of what you do and don't want to buy for next time.

Hm my top tip for a first trip would probably be to go with another family who know what they're doing and have all the stuff! Or if not, just plan really easy food that you know your kids like and don't be too ambitious about barbecues for dinner as it always takes longer than you think it will and little kids could well be starving and ratty long before anything is ready to eat. A cool box, a one ring gas stove and some comfy fireside chairs are fairly important. We have got away with not buying a table snd "dining" style chairs so far, often sites have picnic tables you can use. And we have a couple of those big square "really useful" plastic boxes that I pack all the kitchen stuff in and use as a surface to put the burner on. It's not very slick but much cheaper than a big camping kitchen unit thing. My best camping purchase though is a giant fleece blanket from Amazon to wrap around the air beds and keep them together in the night. And a cheap giant picnic blanket to put under them to insulate you from the ground and make the bedroom bit feel cosy. I love camping, even though it's basically a massive faff. Have fun! xx

Hi all, just wanted to share a blog post I wrote about camping with kids - hope you enjoy it! :-) http://metro.co.uk/2016/05/14/16-things-you-only-know-if-you-have-camped-with-small-children-5826901/

Oh it's so horrible isn't it. We used k&o pest control. They were good. They also have a shop in penge- if it happened again I would just go to the shop next time and get loads of poison and bait boxes and put them all over the place. That's what they did and it worked within two weeks.

Hi this is a bit random but have you tried keeping a food diary to see if there is a specific food trigger for the behaviour? I've heard of children behaving that way because of a soy allergy. My son turns into a devil child if his blood sugar gets too high and then too low. If he has protein or oats for breakfast he is delightful all day.

Oh also I forgot my favourite recent discovery - Crocs! They have a shop in Covent Garden with loads of styles, many not ugly or clumpy at all, and they are all stretchy and super comfy. I've spent all summer in the Hurrache Flats for the last few years and now can't bear wearing normal summer sandals any more.

Thanks for sharing, I have bookmarked your blog. :-)

Have you tried Ted&Muffy? Used to be called Duo. They have a showroom shop on Saville Row where you can try things on and then order. They do lots of sizes and widths and boots in 5 different calf fittings too. The prices aren't crazy either - much more reasonable than you might expect from the location.

I really rate Rocca for their food and friendliness towards kids, but there isn't any running around space. Although you are near Dulwich Park. Or the Rosendale has very good food and a climbing frame outside. The Florence has got rid of their playroom and had a refurb to fit more tables in & might be a bit too noisy & crowded for a nice celebration meal.

The most helpful thing we did over the summer before reception was meeting up with other kids due to start in his class and arranging a few play dates, so his first day wasn't just a sea of new faces. Most schools will help organise that or have some kind of welcome event at the end of the summer term where you can swap numbers with other parents. We got a PE kit bag that's a different colour to the official school ones which is really helpful when it comes to finding his stuff in the inevitable jumble of coats and bags that builds up during the day. And having a bright coloured coat with a good strong hanging loop is good. And a cool key ring to hang on his bookbag. And being able to get dressed, put shoes on and wipe bum (and nose!). I wouldn't worry about the academic stuff at all - there is such a range of experiences and readiness and knowledge in every reception class that he's bound to be within the normal range wherever he starts from. It's useful if he can sit still and listen to instructions and if he's used to eating the kind of food they will serve at lunchtime, if he's going to have school meals. Most schools publish a menu on their websites. But also agree with other posters - try not to worry about it too much and just enjoy being able to go on outings while everyone else is at school!

Also my cousin from the US who we had never met spent a summer with us when she was 15 and then travelled around Ireland on her own. Some kids are just ready to go explore at that age, and some families see it as no big deal. Not sure how I will feel as a parent when my son is that age though!

You could maybe try the Education Otherwise network? The equivalent in France is called Les Enfants d'Abord. I spent a few months with a French family we found through that network when I was 18, and then we and another family hosted an 11 year old from the French family for a month in the UK. I was surprised that she and her mum were up for that when she was so young, but she was a very confident kid, had a great time and learnt loads more English than she would have with all her family around her. (We got the ferry and train from Paris to London together, and the UK train randomly stopped at a signal somewhere in Kent. She was astonished to learn that we had stopped but not arrived at the station, and that in England those two things are often entirely unrelated!) I think that in France 15 doesn't seem to young to go have an adventure without your family, and if you find the right hosts she will have a great time.

We also had the slipping off the mattress problem with a very wriggly 4 year old - we were on a double, he was on a single next to us, and I woke several times in the night to find him lying on the cold floor in the gap in between the two. After that trip I bought a cheap giant fleece blanket from Amazon to put on top of both mattresses and tuck under to hold them together. It makes the surface much less slippery, adds some warmth underneath you, and means he stays on the bed and we all stay warm and asleep. Some spare blankets to go under the air beds are also worth bringing - sounds weird but you actually lose more heat to the ground than the air. (We tried just using a quilt for our first camping trip with a very wriggly three year old but were in a camping shop buying a sleeping bag on day two as he just didn't stay under the quilt and was freezing cold!)

Hi I spent a year living in Sanary Sur Mer when I was younger, which is very near Cassis. It's a lovely little town with a pretty centre, but no beaches to speak of. I think (from admittedly very old memories!) that if you want sand and beach cafes you have to go either towards Nice or down towards Spain. But there are lots of little rocky coves which could be fun, and also lots of big campsites a little way inland where you could probably find cheap simple chalet-type accommodation and lots of kids activities. I would avoid Toulon itself.

The maxi is heavier and ours didn't get as much use as I imagined it would - my nearly 6 year old lost all interest in scooting less than 6 months after we bought it (!) and now only ever wants to go out on his bike. Which reminds me, I have a barely used blue maxi micro for sale if anyone wants it... Ideally would like ?50 for it as it was bought new and hardly used.... Edit - scooter now sold.

Wow that's beautiful! I now have serious kitchen envy.... And it looks so clean!

Hi, does anyone have any of those toy storage cubes that they are really happy with and would recommend? Lots of places do them and I want to build a bookcase to fit some, so am looking for recommendations for ones that are robust and last really well. Thank you!

The former one o clock club in Crystal Palace park is brilliant for a toddler party - it's a nice big hall and a lovely garden jam packed with play stuff. You don't need any entertainment - we went to a party there where the magician was getting fed up because the kids just wanted to go play! It's completely secure and private too. I can't remember what it's called now but it should be fairly easy to find. Or St Faiths on Red Post Hill is a nice big hall with s huge garden but works better for older kids as there is no play stuff there.

Emily Austen is hypnobirth teacher based nearby, she's a friend of mine who I met after having my son so I can't comment on her classes, but I can confirm that she's lovely and I'm sure would be a brilliant teacher. There is another thread on here with her details.

Carly is brilliant, she comes to your house and does a perfect job but is much cheaper than a salon. And you don't need to worry about childcare. She has lots of recommendations on here.

The South London Makerspace in Herne Hill are hosting a free soldering workshop, suitable for adults and kids, on Wednesday 10th Feb from 7:30. All equipment and materials will be provided. Open to all! Find out more here: https://m.facebook.com/events/1563032900688905

Thanks both. :-)

Hi is anyone aware of any kids church services planned for today in the area? Thanks!

We have an only child who is now 5, and I found it hard when he was 2 and 3. People were forever asking questions about when the next one will be coming and it felt like everyone we knew had a baby as well as a toddler. We had some play dates through that playgroup with other only children which helped, for me more than him to be honest, and once he started school it became much less of an issue. There were several other only kids in his class, and people also stopped with the daft questions around the same age which was nice! Now I love the freedom we have and how portable our little family is - we've been canoeing together and do loads of trips and outings that would be a struggle with a smaller one in tow. I do feel a bit sorry for him sometimes as he's missing out on the noise, fun & chaos of being part of a big family that I loved growing up. But then I also would have loved some more time and attention from my Mum, which he has loads of, and he has a great relationship with his grandparents which he is lucky to have, so there is good and bad in every family set-up. I never read any books about it but just wanted to reassure you that for us at least it became fine quite quickly, and what helped was friendships with other only kids.