Bishberro

Hi, I?m posting on behalf of a friend who urgently needs to find a local (SE London) psychologist/councillor for her tween child who is suffering very badly with depression. They are on an urgent referral list for CAMHS but has still been waiting months so she will have to pay privately to access immediate help. She would like face to face sessions preferably. Thanks - all recommendations appreciated.

This man clearly has mental health issues but he needs to be arrested and taken off the streets before he severely injures someone. It is a police issue primarily because he's walking around committing crimes - attacking people and kids, throwing coffee in people's faces and it looks potentially like the same person who sexually assaulted a young woman at 2.30pm on East Dulwich Grove. I have an 11-year-old who goes to school around this area and I'm worried as he wouldn't necessarily know how to react if approached by this man and I've had to warn him about this. Does anyone know if he has been caught?

Worryingly a thread popped up on my Neighbourhood account about a woman being sexually assaulted on East Dulwich Grove at 2.30pm yesterday. The only description being this guy had two obvious scars on his face. I just wondered if they could they be linked to this guy?

Thanks for your help. The incident is being dealt with now.

Hi, hate the idea of a long winter in front of us so my mind has already turned to next year's holiday. We want to go to Mallorca and a few people had recommended Puerta Pollensa. Just wondered if anyone had been and if you had any accommodation recommendations? We either want an apartment or a villa with a shared pool in walking distance of the Pine Walk/bars?restaurants etc. Thanks!

My two live in Hummel high tops (including school). They're colourful, retro-looking and last ages. Try Gently Elephant in Brockley.

Hi, I'm looking for new parents who are trying out shared parental leave for a story in a glossy magazine. I'm hoping to speak to couples who are doing this or hoping to do this in the next few months. Fee paid. Please message me for more info if this applies to you or someone you know. Thanks.

Thanks for all the replies, that's definitely reassured me. It sounds great and well worth the cost.

Hi, I'm starting to plan a few gaps in my holiday childcare for the rest of the year and was thinking of enrolling my kids (7 and 5) in a holiday club for a few days. Just wondered if anyone had any experiences of Nimble Arts holiday clubs and if they would recommend them? We've never done holiday clubs before so I'm a bit nervous about safety etc and if people think they're worth the cost as it's very ?? for two kids. Thanks!

Thanks for the advice. Would the school be able to provide an assessment with an educational psychologist or would we have to find one privately? Can anyone recommend one?

Thanks for the reply EDMummy. No he has no hyper mobility. I didn't think dyslexia was the problem because he has no issues with maths and reading at all - he can track sentences, read the letters ok etc. Can you still be dyslexic and just have writing issues?

Sorry for the long and waffling post, I just wanted to get a bit of advice. My son has always struggled with writing - he didn't hold his pen properly until year one and his writing has always been pretty illegible. I've never worried about it because his reading and maths have always been fine and he seems to have picked them up easily. I could see him progressing and I assumed that one day it would just 'click' as he's still only young. It has come to a head now in Year 2 partly as his teacher is totally not on the ball (just seems to give out work sheets and lets the kids get on with it) and he has now been placed in a special group of children who have been deemed 'behind' in literacy. His main issues are speed (he takes ages to write a sentence), spelling (even common words are continually spelt wrong) and everything is still very phonetic. Letter formation is getting better but 'ds' and 'bs' are still often the wrong way round and 'th' is written as 'f' etc. He also presses down very hard when he's writing and punctuation and capital letters are all over the place. We've tried special pencils, pens etc to make things easier for him. He struggles to write a whole story I've asked the school for advice in the past but have just been told to practice his fine motor skills which we have done. He loves Lego which he's good at, loves drawing which he does really nicely and concentrates on. He just seems to have a mental block with handwriting. We have tried getting him to write at home, making it fun etc but it's like getting blood out of a stone. He will spend ages doing a picture but not writing. He has a very vivid imagination and his speech/vocabulary has always been brilliant but he just can't seem to get his thoughts down on paper even as a basic story. I'm not a tiger mum, he goes to a state school so I'm not trying to hot house him for grammar school, I just want to help increase his confidence and don't want him to slip further and further behind. Is there such a thing as a handwriting tutor as when I ask him to do any writing at home (even when we try and make it 'fun') he makes every effort not to do it? I'm also unsure if/what to correct when I do manage to get him to write a few sentences as he now has literacy homework because of this special group. I don't want to destroy his confidence further by picking apart his spelling, letter formation etc. But if I don't correct them will he keep on making the same mistakes? Any help gratefully appreciated!

Hi, I hope you don't mind me posting here but I'm a local freelance journalist who is urgently looking for a couple (under 40) to keep a spending diary for two weeks. It will then be analysed by a financial expert who will advise you about ways to save money. You will also have a nice photoshoot (hair, make up etc) and receive a fee for taking part. I'm desperately trying to find a suitable couple in the next day or so so please put me out of misery and send me a private message if you or someone you know would like to take part and I can send you a few more details.

Cat girl, what board games are your 6-year-old into? We have snakes and ladders and ludo but looking for some inspiration for new ones a 4 and 6yr old can play.

Hi, this is just a request rather than a post designed to spark a debate, but I'm looking for couples who go on holiday without their children for a story in a national newspaper. Perhaps you do this every once in a while to get some time away as a couple or you do something active like yoga/skiing or go to a place that wouldn't be suitable for children? It would need to be for at least a week rather than just a weekend. If so, please message me. You'd need to be happy being named and photographed and there is a fee available. Thanks for your help.