canela

nursery walks those that want to a nearby playground every morning in small groups so they get a run around in a big space.

I also think 3 hours for tidying up plus a thorough clean is not really enough. sometimes the tidying up takes the longest really. maybe you could pay extra for one spring clean now and get it all to a state where easier to maintain? and just add an hour a week?

yes, and then you can let him sleep in the evening in his buggy for a bit.

why not leave her in bed with the door ajar and a story tape? try not to see it as a discipline issue - she might not be "playing games" but genuinely finding it difficult to switch herself off from daytime activity. if you are tired by then, are you sure you aren't putting her to bed too early so you can relax? i know i used to do this and it always backfired. if you are knackered, could you not let her watch a bit of something sleepy, ie storytime, in her pjs on the sofa before you put her to bed when she is properly sleepy. bedtimes are not meant to be a time of frustration...makes it even more difficult! it will get better.

campfire in the summer

aaargh! last minute holiday plans! looking to go somewhere uk not too far to drive and at least one step up from camping. 3 families with young kids. looking for beach really, and if not then somewhere with lots of open space. any tips?

richmond park and kew garden

I also find it better not to talk/FaceTime etc as then they remember you are not there and it seems to break the spell of where they are. Especially for the little one - the older one now likes to do the odd text or very quick call. I also recommend not checking in with whoever is looking after them unless - like Belle's husband - they will only give you a good report. The rule I have with my Mum is, she only calls me if it is urgent and I really need to know. Otherwise, what is the point of you being far away and knowing that the kids are having a meltdown over tea. If you are away for a few days they are bound to have ups and downs - as they do when you are there - but no point you knowing about it when you can't step in! So the rule is, no news is good news. Don't ring up and tell your kids you miss them unless you know it won't make them suddenly remember they miss you!

4 nights and it was fine. i think it all depends on who you leave them with? if you know they are well looked after you can go with a clear heart.

just to clarify - you can still take your own booze! I'm not that clean living!

or Buddhafield - not all about Buddha! not on this year though, but they are doing a smaller, green-issues camp

saffron, i understand! imho I would never take kids to a "proper" festival as there are too many people and my kids run off, plus someone somewhere will always be having a bit too much of a good time....just as they should as it is a festival! it's a change of mindset i know, but a really small hippy festival is wonderful. at tribal earth i let the kids run off on their own. there is only one field so they can't get lost. and no beer tent or other substances around. try and go with another couple so you can take turns to babysit in the evening.

I go to lots of festivals with the kids and they love them. But I choose really carefully. Basically, the smaller the better. My basic rule of thumb is I won't take the kids to any festival where they have a beer tent. Beer tents mean crowds of drunk people, and that's just not that much fun with kids. We stick to small, family friendly festivals which are probably too small to get an alcohol licence and are full of yoga/arty/clean living types. I appreciate some people might think that's not really going to a festival, but my feeling is, if you want to go to a party festival both you and the kids would have a better time if they didn't go!!! Try Tribal Earth.

Yep, Thailand and Vietnam with a 2 year old. About 6 weeks. Loved it. Depends on your kid/s but my tips would be: - stay in a few "bases" where you can explore from, rather than do too much travelling round - use trains rather than backpacker buses if you can afford it. soooo much easier with a toddler and a beautiful way to see the countryside - if you go to the islands in Thailand, choose your island wisely if you don't want to end up on a party one - medical insurance, sounds obv, but ours ran out the same day little one had to go to dr - luckily all sorted but it could have been very pricy - try the frog porridge have fun you lucky thing!

Tanza, what does your expert son recommend for playing on a lap-top?

mine doesn't have it either but he wants it! I thought you had to play it via an X-Box?

didn't work for me. got them to sleep on me and then transferred gently to bed. or when really small just wore them in a sling whilst asleep. i say do whatever is easiest for you - and don't worry about fictional parents calmly chatting and drinking tea whilst baby coos delightfully from cot, the house is sparkly clean and the sun is shining...

I commute from near Dulwich library to near Chancery Lane. If I do a mix of bus to Denmark Hill and then train to City plus walk, I can drop the kids off at 9 and be at work by 9:45. Though most days I cycle into Convent Garden and walk - door to desk including shower.

I find once you start getting into asking someone to go to sleep more than 3 times it just doesn't work as they will draw it out... does he have a small lamp in his room? can't you just tell him mummy will stay in the room for a little while but he has to go to sleep - and you bring a book or magazine. I did this with mine - I found that it helped for them to know my focus was not on them. If he knows you are just thinking about him going to sleep or not, that draws out your attention on him and he keeps it going. If you stay in the room reading he is secure, but you are not engaging with him.

glad I stayed away! I don't go as cannot face the expensive rides....which is a shame as it's supposedly a community event and there are some great stall holders.

I got round this by letting my son fall asleep with me in the big bed whilst i watched what i wanted to do on TV or did some work on the computer. that way you are still with them but you can do things for you instead of just waiting. now he's older he goes to sleep perfectly well in his own bed so don't think it had a lasting effect...

some nights I get into our bed with the kids and a glass of wine around 8 and we all watch a short nature documentary. then they roll over and go to sleep and we pop them in bed later. other nights I put our 4 year old to bed around 8, and our 8 year old reads Harry Potter out loud to my hubby whilst he does the washing up. I think as they get older you have to learn how to have time for you/each other with the kids still hanging around. just until they are teenagers and never leave their rooms...

thank you! knew the forum would come up trumps!

I kept my son back until Easter term to be with me at home for a number of reasons. But if your child is already at nursery and enjoying it then I would see no real reason for her not to start reception. We had been moving house (and country!) which is why I kept my son back. But he did take a while to get used to the whole school environment.

if so.....please help! looking for suggestions on how to get rid of damp stains and horrible green marks at the bottom of a shower curtain. i know you can get them really cheap, but this is a good one. it's a plastic-like cloth rather than just plastic. any ideas? can I just put it in the washing machine? *apologies for boring cleaning-obsessed thread*