canela

north cross road one is also good.

i went on sunday to a birthday party in the ice-sculpture palace with pre-booked tickets. my son's verdict? boring as too much waiting around.... we got in ok but later on they were only letting in people with pre-booked tickets. a small fortune is an understatement! corn on the cob at ?3.50 each!!! plus full of security guards in megaphones shouting at people to keep to the left. really took the magic out of it for me.... if your kids really like funfairs and you don't mind shelling out then sure it will be fun. personally i thought it was awful. i've heard it's a lot bigger this year than previously so maybe they have just overdone it?

Mellors, I'm interested to know how you managed to get on prescription i.e. was it difficult? My daughter has just been diagnosed with eczema and I've found the doctors to be pretty unhelpful, to be honest...

they have blue ones in the early learning centre

you have all my sympathy. it is truly hellish. tiredness makes it so much worse so even if you could get a few days off i would take it. don't feel guilty about it. the one thing i found made it better was taking a walk in the fresh air - round the park or in sydenham woods. also, lots of telly to take your mind off it.

has anyone tried the sticker sets?

it depends a bit on your relationship with her, i.e. whether or not you need a break from her. if you are all getting on fine and she has nowhere to go at Christmas, I would take her along as part of her normal working time but explain that it will all be a bit different and she should just muck in when needed. I'm sure that even if MIL doesn't want to feel like there is someone working, everyone will be grateful for an extra pair of hands and some help with the kids. you will be able to have some lie-ins and time sitting round reading the paper.

Yes, money can be the issue. I only went once as, like other users have said, if I'm going to pay ?4 for something then I'd rather it went on a class as I can only afford one such outing a week. There are so many free things to go to, or the park, libraries etc. I don't think playgroups need supervision as every child should be supervised by their own carer. Insurance should be covered by the organisation that runs the premesis. And, yes, lots are run by churches etc as a service for the community. I think they don't really lend themselves to a business model. However, it sounds as if the group has a lot of regulars that are just out of the picture for a while...

I would second that. I think the more they get used to sleeping with normal noise going on around them, the better. having said that, some babies are just more light sleepers than others and i can understand the desire for a sleeping baby to stay asleep! With my two I made no effort to reduce noise levels around them during daytime sleeps, bar the obvious one of just closing the door.

our son loved it in the shop - pulling himself up and creeping around the bars - but we couldn't decide and we were skint and so in the end opted out. i wished we had tho. i agree it is a short moment but i think it can really make cooking and a few other things easier for those 6 months or so. nowadays there is ebay etc so not even expensive.

I would. not pregnant and not planning to be again! but would love to support and share positive birth experiences.

try the yurts at WoWo. very close by and something really different.

I have some more questions: - one is around CRB checks and safeguarding. My partner is amazing with kids but runs a mile whenever I suggest any child-related work or even voluntary work for him as he is terrified of being accused of inappropriate behaviour. He just finds the idea of a man being responsible for children and young people problematic. How does the system ensure safety for all involved? - the other is around culture. We are a mixed race bilingual family and have spoken about wanting to support children from a similar background. Is this taken into account when allocating placements?

boots, cos his are now leaking...

a good idea I think, but I know my family would be up in arms! A few years ago we instigated a ?5 rule for adults and all children except those directly yours. but we had rebellion from some quarters saying it was all killjoy. problem is there are very different levels of income across the extended family. some of us with low incomes have no problem at all with being bought lovely pressies by those with more spare cash, but others find it really embarrassing. and some with larger amounts would really like to have an opportunity to buy a few treats and not be told what to do! so this year I am advocating everyone just spending what they can/want and we can call get on with it! will be interesting to see the results....

Hi I have a friend with a new baby in Brockley. What would they receive in return, i.e. an hour baby sitting?

where do you run your classes? and is it still something worth tackling if it has now been several years since having children?

well a villa sounds lovely, but if you want something different how about a glamping yurt or a gypsy caravan for a couple of weeks.

agreed. i think it seems a wonderful thing to do and i would consider it later. but more than a job it seems to be a "calling" or way of life as it is not something you can put down at the end of the day. what stopped us from taking it further is that you kind of need to be settled yourselves first, and our family life is still chaotic, we could move etc etc.

i like a surprise myself. one year my other half got me 10 pairs of colourful tights!

we went with 2 year old. fish market and beach great for hanging out. we got the famous wind and it was freexing so do take warm jumpers for evening. we went to nrarby agadir too and that was great.

ok. fingers crossed! tho my little one goes elsewhere now and is happy.

I would like to be able to answer your question, but I paid ?25 to go on a waiting list over 9 months ago and have never managed to get any contact from them again.

I agree LondonMix. Well said. Yet I also think that just because something is classified as an "animal behaviour" doesn't mean we should reject it outhand. David, you said "Horses go off and give birth in solitude away from other equine contact. No one suggests humans should do the same since having family/doctors/midwives present makes birth safer." Actually there are a number of books written on this, by doctors, regarding home births and how medical staff should intervene. Many midwives will let the labouring woman be on her own in a separate room in the house, as they say this allows labour to progress easier.

I am also watching this thread with interest....ideas for boys around 7 please! again - to support playing alone would be great. He does love board games but those can't be played alone....