Justasking

Hi all, Our lovely au pair has had to return home due to a family emergency so we are desperately trying to find a replacement asap. Has anyone had any experience with au pair agencies? We've always used Aupair World but we've found that tends to take a bit longer. Appreciate any advice! Thanks. C.

Hi all, I can only find old threads on this topic. What's the going rate for an au pair in south east London? It would be the standard before and after school situation with an evening babysitting a week. What else did you pay for? We're considering buying a monthly zone 1-4 travel card (we are in SE20) so she can get into town and actually experience London / see friends. Clearly we've left it very very late as we're looking for someone from September... Thank you. C.

Hi there - our council (Bromley) offered to train up our son's class teaching assistant on visual impaired issues. It was only a week long course but great opportunity. Maybe that could be a possibility? The TA was delighted to do it (skills development for her) and is now following the class to Year 1.

Will send a pm.

I can recommend Bornholm, an island between Sweden and Denmark (belonging to Denmark). Enough to do but contained, stunning.

You're a friendly bunch of trolls, aren't you. People are so keen to judge other parents' choices when you know nothing about the OP's situation. Nor is it your choice to make.

We used https://www.neverlandparties.co.uk for a pirate party. Alvin /Captain John was great. He kept 28 5-year-olds enthralled for an hour. It's was less than ?200, worth it.

Jumping on this thread - any tips for Koh Samet? We're heading out there in April with a 5 year old and a 3 year old. Thanks!

My son went last year before starting reception. He absolutely loved it. Very caring, fun, quality staff. And a nice alternative to the more sports oriented holiday clubs.

We're planning a pirate party for my son's 5th birthday. Any recommendations for entertainers? How much will such a person cost? Is it with it? Any other ideas that you've seen around that you can share? We will definitely be diy'ing the food and decorations and party bags. Thanks!

Resuscitating this thread - any other warnings / suggestions? We're going for an l-shaped loft conversion. We've seen examples of one company's work which we're happy with, discounted quite a few companies. The quotes came in at 45-50k - now we're wondering what extra spend we can expect. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Which breeds made it on your list?

No need to prepare, in my opinion! They are only four! They are looking for engaged, curious kids. It helps if they are used to being with other adults and don't get too upset when they join the other kids. But my advice would be to not stress, the teachers are great and friendly and it's just a fun day for the kids. They are mainly looking for whether the kids would fit into to school, whether the focus is sports, arts, etc. It's also a chance for you to check out the school- works both ways!

Nimble Arts! There's a recent thread here about the club. It's brilliant for the little ones (as well as the big ones, I'm sure).

My 4-year old son absolutely loves it! He's come home with a different project every day and already says he wants to go back next summer or even before. Also, they can cater to children with SEND and make a point of being inclusive which is rare.

Thanks everyone - good advice all round! I'm sure the costs will creep up so I'm trying to make a few savings to put towards things we want to trade up on.

Hi everyone. We're looking into getting our loft conversion - one large bedroom, one bathroom in an l-shaped dormer. We're getting quotes in at the moment and of course they give you the most expensive options, which is fine. Would a window be cheaper than a juliette balcony? Personally I don't see the point of a door going to nowhere that a child or pet might jump out of. To those having been there and done that - any other things that turned out to be a bit unnecessary? Thanks!

Also consider SE20, a bit further out but near the buzz of Crystal Palace. It now has four outstanding primaries. We love it here. Trains to Victoria in 20 mins, depending where you are there are also trains to London Bridge in about the same amount of time.

Gelateria del Teatro is my favorite - Via dei Coronari 65/66. Nice area too. Rome is not great for little kids, in my experience, more fun for the school age kids who can get into character.

Hi all. Any thoughts on these two independent schools? We will have to make our decision in a few weeks and we love both. I noticed Rosemead gets more scholarships for secondary school but I don't know how important that is. My child is not a sporty one so that's not a factor in our considerations, he seems musical though, to the extent that you can judge that so early on. Thanks!