jennyh

My daughter found coconut oil very soothing and breeze, perhaps position them in front of a fan for a little respite. Coconut oil available in supermarkets or the health shop on lordship lane.

I understand the comments regarding cafes catering for kids but I think part of the reason that so many of the cafes are over-run with buggies is because the area is lacking in a space that is big enough and that caters specifically for that market. As a parent of 2 young kids I hate having to squeeze into small places that are inappropriate such as Blue Mountain, (formerly) Lucas and Duck Egg because you know that its not really geared up for hordes of children and you have to shuffle around apologising for your buggies being in the way etc. I welcome a big space that has been well thought out and meets the needs of the huge population of young kids in East Dulwich and would imagine that if it is a success it will free up all the other cafes for people who don't have kids to sit peacefully or work etc. All in all it has to be a good thing, particularly because the old cafe was rarely busy and didnt work. As someone said before, its great that it is being used!

I've hired soft play equipment and bouncy castles on a couple of occasions from Kim who runs Tippee Toes locally. Found it very useful and so imagine there is other demand too.

Hi, Husband is on a stag weekend and I decided to take my kids to Brighton but have ended up with a hire car I can't drive, so used to an automatic!! I'm a nervous driver at best so a little nervous about driving this monster of a car with my kids going nuts. Wondering if anyone would be kind enough to lend me one of those iPad cases you can strap onto a car!? Could pick up in the next couple of hours or tomorrow morning??? Thanks!

I moved my daughter from an old nursery (where she had been for nearly 2 years) to a new one a couple of months after my son was born. I really thought that as a sociable child with lots of nursery experience she would really take it in her stride but I was a bit naive in retrospect. She settled well enough but found the change hard with lots of questions about why she wasn't with her old friends. She had lots of tears for some time and at one point was saying that she had no friends and broke down in then middle of the night saying I was sending her away. Not saying this to frighten you, just that they can be so complex and I think it's hard to see everything that is going on. We had lots of associated behaviour after her brother was born, playing up for attention, regressing to baby like habits, wetting herself etc despite being very happy on the surface. I think that you would be best to settle him early and allow yourself the time to nourish him in the change, to really allow him to communicate with you one-on-one and indulge his emotions a bit. In our experience the arrival of the second baby has definitely impacted upon the time my daughter has to express herself and be looked after as she was always used to. As srisky says, you don't want him seeing nursery as some sort of punishment or association with the new baby. My daughter was very sad that she was being packed off to nursery as I think she thought that me and her brother went off to the park etc and had a lovely time but she wasn't invited. I now tell a white lie that he is going to nursery and I am going to work and she is a lot happier now. Best of luck with it all, it's a challenging time but ultimately a sibling is a wonderful thing to have and a nursery environment will eventually be a great place for him to learn and grow alongside his time at home. Just a lot of juggling!!!

Thanks everyone! I have checked and fortunately I don't have to repay anything! Whoooooo. Frankly they paid me such a teeny amount of company mat pay it wouldn't amount to much anyway. Appreciate all the advice, will speak about the notice period and work something out. Might just make touch to let them know I'm working on child care plans or something to keep it dragged out a little bit longer. To be honest I have an inkling my job may be made redundant soon as its only a part time role and isn't deemed to be hat fundamental to the running of the company!

Hi For various reasons I am thinking of not returning to work following my mat leave. My company offered the basic package so I have been on statutory mat pay for a while (baby is nearly 6 months). My stat pay would run out early September (after the 39 weeks). My question is whether I tell them now or wait a bit longer...if I quit the job then will I lose the last couple of months of mat pay? I've not said when I'm due to go back so they have no idea at the moment but I feel bad if I keep them hanging, particularly as I'm fairly certain I won't go... All ideas and answers welcome!

I have previously lodged a complaint with the council when I saw bins spilling over etc and they were cleared. The form was on the southwark council website.

Love the bee! Using it with my second now, easy to fold, lightweight, easy to steer and very comfy! Had a January and February baby and found the cocoon very snug!

Another show of support here. I had a rough time of it with breastfeeding my two and sadly after much wrangling and crying (at the time) I bottle fed both of my children. Interestingly with my second I had an identical breastfeeding journey despite the fact my son could latch a little better, just wasnt to be for various reasons. Like other posters say, once you've made the decision and prepared yourself mentally it is much easier to look forward and not back. You've given your baby a wonderful start in life and you will continue to see them thrive and develop those adorable chubby wrists and ankles. There is nothing more rewarding in my experience than a baby who is delightfully full whether breastfed or bottle! Happy, relaxed, content and smiley! Shout if you need any further advice...we are currently dealing with constipation, a common plight for formula fed babies I think!

Sounds similar SJ - I too didn't see the busyness as a negative thing really but I would occasionally think that it would be nice if they were involved in lots of activities together - the end of the day is often a time when they are zoning out, filling in books, tidying up etc. Have you considered a childminder BB? I am sure you have considered all your options over and over again! I have to say that having looked at a few primary schools for next year's intake I do find the pre-school environment a helpful conditioner for what will be quite a big change. Like all things though we constantly weigh up our decisions regarding out kids trying to find the best option! If your son has some speech delays then I totally understand why you would wish for a smaller ratio and more interaction, and there is a HUGE difference between a 2yo and a 2-4yo so ultimately the nursery needs to by sympathetic to their different needs and if you feel that the current nursery isn't then of course you are right to think of an alternative.

Hi My daughter has just started a new nursery in forest hill after attending a dulwich nursery for a few years. I was keen to get to the bottom of this as understood that ratios seemed flexible when I thought that they couldn't be. Basically it seems to be dependent on the level/qualifications of the staff, so if you are grade 7 or something like that you can have 13 children in your care, obviously the lower level you are (and the younger the child) the fewer you can look after. My daughter is 3 and goes to a nursery where there are a maximum of 20 in a pre-school room, there are usually 3 members of staff. However it is usually quieter and when I drop her there are often only a handful of children. I have found that this nursery has a homely feel and the room is smaller than her old one so it has a feeling of closeness about it, the staff are all visible and greet you quickly and the children can be easily seen and reached at all times and tend to mob the staff most of the time. (her previous nursery had a much larger room and I sometimes felt the kids were doing there own thing whilst the staff would be on the other side of the room). When I spoke to the manager she seemed to suggest they don't like crowding them in so even if ofsted state they can have more, they seem to work a little more organically in terms of ratios and numbers of children to best meet the needs and the space available(never more than the max of course. i think that a nursery offers a very specific type of care and understand your point about individual attention. I think that a pre-school environment differs greatly and when my daughter was 2 I would have wanted something a little less busy and chaotic but its hard to find I think. I think it makes a big difference how you feel about the staff and the environment, in my case even when it is busy I still believe the staff really care and are dedicated to the children in a small environment that has carpets and soft furnishings and is cosy and homely! FYI the 2 year room at her nursery is equally homely and seems very friendly but obviously I have no experience. Perhaps best to go and look around a few others. I found that when I was searching in Forest Hill I looked at a lot that I didn't like and I realised that the bad bits of her old nursery were small in comparison to the sacrifices of a lot of other ones I looked at. Fortunately I found one I love so that was good but it helped to look further afield to get a point of comparison.

Have seen girls going through bins with wheelie shopping trolleys so I guess looking for stuff to sell on.

Echo what snowboarder said - mine dropped hers around 2.1/4 although tried to drop it a bit earlier! Coincided with long to a big bed and being able to get out, shocking bedtime refusal and awful sleepless nights so we called time on it much to my disappointment! She would still nap at nursery for a bit but that soon became an issue as her body clock was all over the place so we asked them to stop napping too. It took a few weeks but eventually she managed to adjust and has now adjusted well. She can be a bit tricky in the afternoon and I really have to ensure she has eaten enough to get energy etc or she's like a bear with a sore head but she is exhausted come bedtime and sleeps fairly soundly at night. It's horrid to admit they have finished the nap but the sooner we just accepted it and adjusted the better it was all round. Then again, I do know people who have had periods of nap dropping but it hasn't spelt the end and they go back to napping again. I wish tht was our experience!

Yes mine is the same at constant chattering, like a final attempt to keep you there. As soon as I gave in and allowed her a few mins of it then it eased the tension somewhat! Good luck!

My daughter is only 3 but we've periodically had this sort of resistance. Recently what seems to have made a difference is assessing the day at bedtime and working out whether she needs a bit of extra attention to unwind. We have a new baby and she also goes to nursery so quite often it gets to bedtime and she's not had time one on one to have a chat and clear her mind. After nursery she really needs to brain dump her thoughts and usually the end of the day is a bit rushed which results in a big meltdown. So as much as it bothers me spending an hour with her after the hour getting the baby into bed, it is better than the hours of screaming and fighting. I tend to do her stories and then she lies ok bed and we just chat about the day and about what we are going to do the next day and I try to make lots of positive comments to try and get a happy mood in her. We also talk about what things she didn't play with that she would like to tomorrow etc so that urge to play is addressed. when lights go off she has an audio CD to listen to which helps her to focus her mind rather than being frustrated she can't go to sleep. She tells me she doesn't like closing her eyes so I just say she should listen to the story and look at the glow in the dark stars in her room. We sometimes also bribe with chocolate raisins the next day. And failing that give her a lecture about how it's ok to cry sometimes but not when she's being naughty at bedtime...and hold the door shut when she is escaping every 5 mins! You have my sympathies. Our evenings are taken up with bedtime stuff from 6-8/9 so I know how you feel! Ending the day with a screaming session is also really depressing and draining.

My daughter went there from 8 months to nearly 3 and I was happy with it. I think The ofsted was done not long after they opened and there were improvements to be made but I believe it's come a long way since then. Happy to pm you with further feedback if you like as I know childcare can be very emotive so don't want to start disagreements here! Ultimately it is a great nursery with lots of plus points and I know many many parents who have also been very happy with it.

Thanks everyone. Have booked for us to see dogs don't do ballet at the Canada Water Culture space next weekend. We've been to battersea park zoo a few times but not for a while so maybe will give that another go. Lots of good ideas.

Having moved house, moved nursery and had a new brother in a short space of time my 3 year old (just turned 3 in feb) is understandably feeling sensitive and struggling a bit to settle. She is missing some mummy time so I am on the hunt for suggestions of days out we can so together to make her feel special and enjoy our time together. Happy to travel but ideally nothing too far outside London or easy public transport options. I'm considering London zoo as we both want to go but it's so expensive! She is keen on the theatre but I don't know any good shows an we always go to local places like horniman of ceramics cafe so it needs to be a real treat!

I'm not one to gossip about something this sad but the news of peaches geldof dying has just given me a massive kick up the ass to be so grateful every day. The poor family and those poor boys not to mention Peaches who will never experience her babies growing up. I usually avoid posting this kind of gushy stuff but its just really hit me, so devastating, she was so young too. :-( despite my daily stresses and struggles with my kids I am damn pleased I have them and they have me. Thought for the day.

We moved to forest hill and there is an se23 mums Facebook group which seems quite broad in the area it reaches. Might be worth trying it out as beckanham isn't that far...

Just to say groupon has a deal with the ceramics cafe for two adults/kids to paint a mug. Valid for 3 months so maybe a nice Father's Day gift idea!

Thanks saffron, will have a look for the article too. Many I should try a hammock, what are the selling points? Clearly I can find out for myself but experience is always better in my opinion!

Thanks very much, great to hear your experiences. He has an underlying breathing issue and has also picked up a load of colds so if he ends up on his back he just splutters and gasps. He actually sleeps in a bednest next to me and I'm a vey light sleeper, he also wakes frequently in the night due to his breathing issues so to be honest we're awake more than we're asleep! He also sleeps on me in the bed quite a bit. I'd say no more than an hour passes without us having some sort of contact. He sleeps in his Moses during the day or on me/in the sling. He has a teddy which props him up a bit and a rolled up towel behind him for some warmth and comfort. I guess I'm half thinking about putting him into his room at some point when I won't be right there to check on him which makes me anxious.

Hi all So I know the advice re SIDS and baby's position but I wanted to get some opinion. My son (12 weeks) currently sleeps on his side and finds it really hard to sleep on his back. After delivery he was placed on his side by the midwives as he was vomiting lots of swallowed fluids. He is very strong and I am worried he already has the capacity to roll into his tummy although he's not done it yet. My question is whether anyone has experience of this and whether anyone has used cot positionerd to support baby in the side position? Thanks