trinity

Hi all, My kids and I have just finished our second free cycling lesson provided by Southwark council. The lesson involved me and 2 of my children (age 10 and 12), I explained to the instructor (the excellent Marilyn) what we would like to be able to do (in our case be able to cycle together on the roads to school) and the we had 2 two hour lessons to help us achieve just that. We started in the park then worked our way up to travelling in light traffic. The lessons were great, really useful for parents and kids and I now feel equippped to get my kids to school on their bikes. I really recommend these lessons. The website is http://www.cyclinginstructor.com/

Excellent news. Congratulations to you and your family.

A swing saved my sanity. My newborn would not nap at all without constant motion - she would fall asleep in a pram whilst being pushed but the moment you stopped she would wake up. She could not be put down during the day at all without screaming. With 3 others to look after it was a nightmare. The day I bought the swing (she was 8 weeks old) I wept tears of relief. That said I passed the swing onto a friend who didn't use it at all because her lo wouldn't sleep in it.

Following on from njc97's idea can you put thenm across a doorway instead so that your lo can't get near the stairs at all. We had ours across bedroom or living room doorways.

littleEDfamily Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hmmmm.... sorry trinity, wasn't meaning to sound > insensitive. The midwife did say that if your > cervix is in a certain position it can be quite > uncomfortable (mine obv wasn't!) > no problem. Clearly there are a wide range of experiences here. As a comparison I felt nothing with a smear and was in agony with the sweep. Perhaps it was also because I had it 10 days before my due date or perhaps just a very rough nurse.

I had a sweep and it was unbelievably painful. I also had 2 births without pain relief so my pain threshold is quite high! It wasn't helped by the nurse giving me the internal exam not telling me she was going to do a sweep. Unforgiveable.

My father visited me earlier this week and we spent a interesting hour or so in Camberwell Old Cemetery. The main entrance is on Forest Hill Road. There were 3 fascinating memorials there that I thought were worth telling people about. In the war grave part of the cemetery, on your right as you go in through the main gates, is the grave of Able Seaman Albert McKenzie, winner of a VC in WW1. Unusually he was awarded the VC by ballot following the raid on Zeebrugge in 1918. Poignantly, although he recovered almost completely from the wounds he suffered during the action and was awarded the VC whilst alive, he died aged 19 in 1918 in the great flu epidemic. There is a lot more info here www.mckenzie.uk.com/zeebrugge/ I have attached a photo of his grave (apologies for the quality of the photos - they were taken on my phone). Close to the war graves section is a memorial to 3 members of the Armenian Hentchakist Party who were assasinated in 2 separate incidents in 1903. 2 of those remembered were shot somewhere on Peckham Rye, outside their party headquarters, but I haven't been able to find out where that would have been. The politics of the time are difficult to unravel at first glance but I believe the assasinations to be small incidents demonstrating a political instability in an area which a decade later would lead to the start of the Great War. The memorial was a striking red marble obelisk on a inscribed plinth. Unfortunately the obelisk has toppled onto nearby graves. A pictures of this memorial is also attached. Further into the cemetery in the central area is the grave of James John Berkeley. He was the chief engineer of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway. Originally an assistant to Robert Stephenson he was reponsible for the laying of lines across exceptionally difficult terrain with viaducts and tunnels being lasting memorials to the feats of engineering (and manpower). Rather than a grave I think the memorial is a mausoleum which was provided by the employees of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway which is inscribed with a tribute to the engineering ability of Mr Berkeley. The exact wording was interesting as it gave a real sense of the formality of the time and the admiration in which he was held. I will try to post it soon. He died in Sydenham a number of years after returning from India. Again a picture of the memorial is attached. Edited because I said left when I meant right

Absolutely DM. Entrance test consists of Maths, English and verbal reasoning papers all taken in Jan of year 6. However because the unconditional places are determined at the end of year 5, that year rather than year 6 becomes the stressful year. I know because I have just been through it.

dulwichmum Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Lovely Pebbles, > > No, once your child is in, she stays in - I > believe. Not quite. All Japs girls must sit the competitive entrance exam in year 6 for entry into Jags. However all parents are told at the end of year 5 whether their girls have a definite place at JAGS regardless of their performance in the exam. Unfortunately a few girls each year are told that they do not have an unconditional place and must either improve sufficiently in year 6 or look for a school elsewhere. Anne, We also chose Japs over Alleyns for similar reasons to DM but also because I prefer single-sex schools at secondary level so thought best to go all the way through with Japs then Jags. Trinity

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > But can we agree that somewhere in the last what? > 50 years?... parents have become much more > cautious with children? > > Not entirely a bad thing perhaps but many people > seem to hanker after the freedom of their own > youth whilst not permitting it to their own > children. And some will argue the world is a > scarier place (I don?t agree entirely) and that is > entirely their perogative to raise kids as the see > fit but the question of why people are SO much > more cautious is interesting. To me anyway I find this perplexing also. Thirty years ago I was walked to school as a 4 year old by my 6 year old sister. All my class mates also walked to school regardless of age. This was in the mid seventies in East Belfast at the height of the Troubles. Our route took us along the peaceline, along rubble strewn roads and past barbed-wire barricades. What risks did we all face? I can see that traffic now is much worse. That is a greater risk than before and is the reason why my children do not walk to school unaccompanied. The Schonrocks have considered their route and their children's abilities and believe that it is safe for them. Other risks to children, particularly walking through Dulwich Village, would be, I think substanially smaller, than those faced by me and my classmates. So I just don't get why so great an uproar about something that was the norm only 30 years ago. In addition older children having responsibility for their younger siblings in certain situations, in this case the ride to school, would also have been entirely normal and part of a healthy family relationship.

So traffic is not a problem as they cycle on the pavement, abduction is not a problem as there are so many parents doing the school run that leaves the problem of crossing the roads - which (according to the Daily Telegraph)so the family have minimised that risk by making sure they cross at a junction with a lollipop lady. On the DT website Mrs Schonrock said that she believed the benefits to her children outweighed the risk. I agree with her.

I have seen these children on my way to school with my lot. They ride their bikes safely on the pavement and so traffic is not a consideration. They cross the road safely also with the older child looking after the younger. Dulwich is one of the safest places I can think of for primary children to make their own way to school. If there was any incident or problem there would be hundreds of parents around to step in and help. Well done to the parents.

I found a 'physical' approach to letters worked wonders with my lot. So I started off showing them 2 letters, told them their sounds then placed copies of the letters round the room and they had to rush around finding them. Within no time at all they knew all the letters and sounds. You then move onto common 2 letter sounds. I was able to teach all of mine this at a very early age. I think however you do it it must be a game rather than teaching.

I think fuschia's advice is sound. The only other thing I would add is does he eat at the same time as you and/or your partner? Let him get on with his food lobbing whilst you get on with your dinner. He might just think what you are doing is more interesting than what he is doing. Particularly if you are able to ignore his eating habits. Good luck Trinity

Yep all sorted now. I did call a plumber out but surprise surprise it sorted itself out so I think it was just some air in the pipe. I did wonder about the water works going on at the resevoir but luckily it was nothing to do with that. Best wishes Trinity

Thanks - looks like I will be calling a plumber!

Hi, I have no cold water in my upstairs bathrooms. To help me work out whether I need to call Thames water or a plumber, is anyone else having problems?

I bought a very ordinary cot from Mothercare in the sale for ?80. It lasted my 4 kids up til they were each 2 1/2 yo (when they went into single beds), was borrowed by a friend and has done another 2 years with her child and is about to start again with her newest baby. I think that that works out at about ?6 per year! You can spend as much or as little as you want but the more expensive ones are not always the best.

I went back to work full time when my lo was 8 months old. Expressing at work was no problem even though I was a contractor. I was given a first aid room and used a fridge in that room to store the milk. My baby was perfectly happy with a feed first thing in the morning and one when I got home. Over the weekends she would have more feeds but my supply always seemed to cope well with the changing demands

Today my little one learnt to cycle. In glorious sunshine I let go of her bike and off she pedalled. She is my last child and when each milestone is reached I feel delighted but just a bit sad.

No need at all to warm formula - mine have been happy to accept it at room temp or indeed straight from the fridge. Maybe some lo are more fussy but I would try unwarmed milk first if you have chosen to go down that route.

We have been resident in the area for 10 years and don't feel the need to look elsewhere. I love being so close to the park and One Tree Hill for the 'wilderness experience'. It's a fairly mixed community with flats and whole houses on each street. I'd say a quite a few children but not baby central. Good range of shops and an excellent bus route 63. Honor Oak park station is within walking distance although that would be better if the 63 bus went over the hill. I was unsure whether we were in the catchment area for Fairlawn. On one of the school threads I was told that it didn't reach as far as Therapia! I have always felt very safe and haven't been aware of any crime problems. Dog mess seems to be a problem on Forest Hill Road but not so much on the side streets I would say. Most of the houses have good sized gardens which can be harder to find closer to Lordship Lane.

I don't know what the legality of it is but I would be perfectly happy to let a sensible 15yr old babysit for the ages you mentioned.

We bought our wooden bunkbeds from Alphabeds (they were on Tottenham Court Road but now just mail order from Wales). We bought them 13 years ago and they are still going strong although they have been used as separate beds for some of that time. The beds are not fancy but very solid and reasonably priced. Excellent service and delivery. (Whilst they were being used as separate beds we lost the wooden side rails but they replaced them for just the delivery fee 11 years after we originally bought the beds!) The beds are guaranteed for 15 years but I think ours will still be going strong long after that. [www.alphabeds.co.uk] Looking at prices they are slightly but not much cheaper than Warren Evans:(

I have heard playground rumours that not many girls from dcps were accepted in JAPS this year. Last year however at least 6 got in. I have no direct experience of the numbers coming from Ducks. My experience of DCPS is that they prepared girls for the JAPS assessment in the past but no longer to the same extent. Japps is the pre-prep of the prep school - reception to Y2, Japs is the prep school ie y3 to y6. Although the main consideration for a nursery environment is one where you child will be happy it makes sense to look for this in a place that also knows the assessment procedures of the school you would like your child to go to in the future.