alieh

We went to the Balmer Lawn hotel in the New Forest and got a good deal so felt it was very good value for money. The food in the restaurant was really good and much better than we expected!

I aimed for one nap in the cot per day, the rest in sling or buggy. The morning nap started to develop around 4 months, and it was much easier to get her down then in the cot for at least one good one. To be honest I mostly fed to almost sleep...until very drowsy, then a bit of patting in cot. Need to be quick with two other children around! I worked on gradually having her be more awake going down, especially at bedtime when my husband is around to help. She is mostly a very good sleeper and I have broken all of the rules so just do what you can to survive!

Every washing machine I've used when visiting family in Canada does this. Enfuriating! Don't have an answer though. I would be raging if I paid for a Miele and it did that!

Everyone has such different experiences and things that work for them....maybe we should start an eczema cream rotation and pass on the unused bottles! For my son, the first thing was cutting out dairy (since he has grown out of that and it is fine now). But his eczema wasn't a patch here or there - his skin was red, raw and looked like he was burnt from head to toe! So there was clearly a problem. We needed to use mild steroid creams to get it under control even after we stopped the dairy. But since the acute outbreak was under control, my absolute miracle cream is pure Shea Butter. It is cheap as chips if you buy in bulk (and buy unrefined). The downside is that it is very hard and you have to melt it in your hands before it will spread. You can buy refined Shea Butter that smears easily but it is much more expensive. I bought a huge tub of unrefined Shea Butter about 3 years ago and it is only just almost gone. I also find Sudocrem, weirdly, to be good. If the red patches flare up I instantly start putting Sudocrem then Shea Butter on top several times per day. If you noticed the problem since the hot weather could he be reacting to the sun cream you're using? I've found Lavera to be very gentle. Or Kielhs makes a face sun cream that is very mild (I have sensitive skin and break out in hives and all sorts at lots of creams but both of these are fine for me).

I've seen 1:1 teachers at Forest Hill that seem very good. You could ask there?

I've PMed you

I work full time and have 3. Just so people know it is possible! A nanny usually works out best cost-wise even for two children so you may as well add a third to the arrangement at that point!

I was scared but always wanted 3....number 3 is now 20 weeks old and such a delight! I can't imagine her not being here already. But I think a lot depends on the baby, which of course you can't predict in advance. She is so easy, sleeps fairly well, rarely cries (very different to her two older brothers as babies!) so we've been lucky so far. If she was more challenging it would have been very, very difficult. We also have kept our childcare for older boys (to avoid having to start from scratch when I go back to work) which makes things very easy (if not beyond eye-watering expensive!).

Not with kids so probably not helpful but I lived in Mumbai for about 8 months. Some of the expats I knew had children but not many. I love Mumbai and would love to go back with my family and young children someday! It was a very hard adjustment but that was 10 years ago and the city has changed hugely since then. I imagine you probably know both cities but if not, I can describe some of the major challenges. Pollution, traffic, segregation/inequality, heat/humidity would be the concerns I'd have about young children generally...just off the top of my head. I'm sure others will know more about details like school places, childcare, etc. Try the Mumsnet Living Overseas Talk board too. Jealous!

I am completely unaware of the politics behind any of this but would like to see more mixed sex state secondary options in the area...there is a site on Honor Oak Road, Hamilton Lodge, a former nursing home that is for sale. Is anyone aware if this has been considered as a secondary school site? I have flagged it with Lewisham councillors and with the Charter contact in the first post above.

We have the Miele Cat and Dog one. Love it.

I walked past yesterday. It is open today 11-5, tomorrow Friday 12-4 for a fun day with bouncy castle. Next week Mon-Thurs 11-5, closed for Easter weekend.

The 4 year old would swim alone and the 2 year old would need a parent - I struggled to find a day/time when both these types of lessons were on at the same time. Now my little one is 3 it works well to take them both on a Saturday as they both swim alone with teacher and classes are at similar times. I haven't looked recently so could be wrong! You might find you're best off finding a class for the 4 year old and then taking your 2 year old to general swim at the same time and doing some simple teaching for him/her yourself. You need to find out what Monday the next session opens for new registrants and then get there early on that day. Or sometimes they actually have free spaces in some classes so you could try for your 4 year old? Just go into reception and ask. Personally I'd go for Peckham Pulse as they seem to like the warmer pool - so would I!

I think Fairlawn was more than 300 m this year even in first round and then got bigger after people turned down places (even before they announced a last minute bulge class). I would have thought you'd be fine! Even if on the waiting list for a couple of months worst case. Obviously just my opinion! St Francesca Cabrini is very near and I think they take a number of non-Catholics each year too, as a back up?

Anyone know? And can 5 year olds go if supervised by parents?

Many different opinions! We've decided on leaving about 7/7:30 pm on Friday and if the kids are screaming and we're still in greater London at 9 pm we'll get a Travelodge somewhere! Wish us luck. With 3 kids, including a 3 month old, stuffed in the back of a Ford Focus we'll need it!

Thank you so much everyone! Think we're going to brave Friday night but a bit later than after school - 6 or 7 pm. And hope the kids sleep most of the way. Will take the routes suggested here.

Many thanks! We might bite the bullet and go Friday evening, hoping the kids will sleep (ha ha).

Hmmm...no idea why via the M25. That was our friends suggestion. But I take it that, regardless, we should either go late Friday or early Sat. Thank you!

[Posted in Family Room section as well but adding here for more views] We are going to Devon this weekend and trying to decide whether to leave Friday straight from school or early Saturday AM. Does anyone have any sense of how long it will take to get to the M25 if we leave on Friday around 3:30/4:00 pm? And would you imagine it will be worse this weekend with the start of the school holidays, or just standard Friday hellishness?

For e.g. this: http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/greece/GR4508.htm The pool is shared but it is also walking distance to the beach...might be easier to get a good deal because of the shared pool.

Not a Family Room topic strictly, but we have 3 children (including a 3 month old that won't take a dummy and isn't used to sleeping in the car) so you will understand my acute need to suss out the traffic situation! We are going to Devon this weekend and trying to decide whether to leave Friday straight from school or early Saturday AM. Does anyone have any sense of how long it will take to get to the M25 if we leave on Friday around 3:30/4:00 pm? And would you imagine it will be worse this weekend with the start of the holidays, or just standard Friday hellishness?

I would lock in the flights to Athens personally - there are loads of options in the Peloponnese region, including those listed above or a short ferry ride away. We stayed here (http://www.prettygreekvillas.com/greekvillas-villa-Jacaranda.html) a couple of years ago for within that budget and it was amazing! But we went in June so they did us a deal for 10 days. Looks more pricey in August. But I'm sure through Owner's Direct you could find something.

We have the Maxi Cosi Rodi, Graco Nautilus, and Maxi Cosi Cabriofix across the back of a Ford Focus. Not ideal as the 5 year old has to climb in under the seatbelt as there isn't space to buckle and unbuckle it. But it works! We only use the car a couple of times a week though. Would be quite annoying if we were using it several times a day. Your 3 year old may be too small for the Rodi but if not it is very narrow.

I've done quite a bit of reading on Mumsnet and other places about this in trying to decide what to put in our garden as space is tight. A number of people suggested that playhouses didn't get as much play value as other large garden toys. People seemed to find climbing frames, swing sets and trampolines got more use. We're going to go for a small-ish trampoline and swing set I think. Not sure if you've already considered these other options. I've been looking at the Active Toy Company.