SE22mum

yep, we have a 5 year old and an 8 year old at 5:30 here! Though I suppose school does start at 9...

Yes, the gym always works out cheaper if you do lots of classes. I was just hoping that local gyms would be cheaper that that. I currently pay ?44 for central london gym any time of day, classes etc included. Changing office soon and no gym nearby so will be switching to a local one - which I had assumed would be cheaper - at least not more expensive!

I was told by doctor that if you already have very heavy periods then the coil doesn't tend to make it worse. The difference felt more by women who had light periods to start with.

wow - seems very pricey for off-peak.

villa in spain near a ryanair airport...

horniman museum

Help! A little advice needed! I'm helping out do the costumes for a school play and I need to velcro up some blazers so they can be ripped open to great dramatic effect. My question is, will fabric glue hold the velcro or will I need to sew? I don't have a machine. thanks!

You might want to join the Parents and Friends Ass which organise social events etc - and have some fun at the same time!

Hello Does anyone know of local drama classes that run mid-week? All of the ones I find seem to be Saturday morning. thanks!

Great Expectations usually has music

Our son moved in year 1 and it was fine. The new school was really good at welcoming him and making him feel special. I would try not to make too big a thing out of it, and just tell them once it is confirmed. If your child has some really good friends at their current school set up a playdate at the weekend quite soon, and also try and be present at school parents events/socials so you quickly become part of new community. we worried beforehand but it was completely easy.

Angela Carter's collected essays - how to look at the world around you always with curiosity and not take cultural and social norms for granted.

my kids went to nothing but the park for 4 years! really, really don't worry about that. if you need to, you can always do other things at weekends. also, if they have been at childcare during the day as you work, they probably just want to chill out a bit. have you tried nearly co-sleeping, as in having them in your room but not in your bed? we find this works really well - they sleep for longer as they feel you next to them but you get your own bed. you might also want to consider going away for a few days to wean your little one off night-time feeding? I know is difficult to arrange but is easier than trying to do it with you there...

it probably is worth talking to the teacher and getting their view. some teachers have very specific reasons for setting it. when my son was in year 2 the teacher explained clearly that they wanted the children to do their homework on their own as one reason was to see how much they remembered when not in school - i.e. not with parental help. they also advised not letting a child spend more than 20 mins on a task. the teacher didn't actually mark it, the TA just flagged up if there were problems. if your daughter is finding it difficult best to talk to the teacher about setting something more realistic.

just have a big bowl of sweets/toys at the door, and let each child choose one as they leave. parents will love you if you don't do party bags or do an alternative to sending all the kids home completely hyper and with a huge bag of sweets!

I feel for you. We have gone through phases of this and it is extremely frustrating and quite depressing. In my experience, there is only limited or no success from actually tackling the issue once it has happened - at least until they are a bit older and you can talk it through a bit more. Far better to try and avoid and limit. For example making an effort to ensure each child gets some alone time with you each day - even if just 10 mins - where you are totally dedicated to them ie reading, playing a game. even if this means creative strategies like the the other one getting 10 minutes time to watch their own choice of telly. also as many play-dates or meet-ups with other families as possible to shake up the dynamic, or inviting over a friend for one so you spend time with the other one. Also making sure you do lots of fun things on your days with them and get out of the house as much as possible. If they are having a great time they are less likely to start bickering. take heart - they will have phases when they fight less as well/

have you contacted home school groups? My cousin does it and is part of a local network, and between them they organise classes and even contract teachers. In other words, she does not teach them herself for 6 hours a day! There is a big home ed network in south london - which I'm not a part of unfortunately as I have to work - so perhaps get in touch. I agree I think it would be pretty difficult to get schools in the area to agree to this, given all the ofsted pressure on attendance.

as a fellow teeth grinder I feel for you! I also recognise a lot of what you write about. You are a strong woman, and it's good to be strong especially when life throws you a difficult ball. You are right - it is all part of life. You seem to have taken the GP's suggestion of stress as if it were a personal failing, but none of us are superhuman (as my husband reminds me when I try to live off 5 hours sleep for months on end ...) We do get tired, our bodies show the signs of wear and tear etc....it is a whole lot better to listen to your body now rather than ignore it and perhaps have something get worse. Maybe it doesn't matter whether or not you feel stressed - your body seems to be feeling it and could do with a bit of a break. Exercise, meditation, relaxation....whatever works for you. If you do want to explore the emotional side of your stress, I would second all the recommendations for mindfulness meditation. I started with the aim of doing 10 minutes a day....and was shocked when I realised at the end of the first week that I hadn't been able to find those 10 minutes just for me on any day! good luck with it all

I think take the lead from her on down time. TV can be a really good break, or playing on her own. My son sometimes just sits in the garden looking at the fish. Most important thing is to let her have some unplanned time as she's had a fully programmed day of activities. Big snack. To be honest, we can only hold out for tea at about 4:30. They just come home ravenous.

ah, if only I had known about this earlier!

I think the main thing is to cut your kid some slack that first term, even the first year. They get really tired and need a lot of down time when they get home. Be prepared for some moodiness at home and try not to react too much. Your child has been on her best behaviour all day long, and sometimes they just need to let it out. Never, ever pick your child up from school without a snack in the bag if needed. This crucial detail makes or breaks the day. Allow yourself extra time for the journey to school so you don't have to stress about being late. Don't worry about homework, reading practice etc unless they are keen to do it. Sometimes they need to do something completely different, like run around in the park, garden. Choose one day a week as playdate day. It's plenty enough for the first term!

Hello We are going away for 2 weeks second half of August and I wonder if there are any young children (with mum or dad!) or responsible teenager who would like to come and feed the cat and fish and water the plants once each day. We would pay a small amount each day. I know there have been similar posts on the family room before and it seems like such a good idea.

sorry to be so ignorant....does that mean you can play mine craft on an apple mac?

IT'S HORRIBLE WEATHER!!! what would it take you to cancel the trip??? we're meant to be going but.....???

just make sure you have proper coffee for the morning and enough pasta/rice/beans to last and all will be fine. it feels like a hassle with so much stuff but you will all relax completely and the kids will run around all day. it is so worth it. we go just about every weekend we can in the summer. did 2 and a half weeks in sussex last summer. love it.