legalalien

From 6 months to 12 months DS was put in a swinging chair in front of baby einstein from 5 until 5.20 on the dot, while I self-indulgently poured myself a gin and tonic and read a book. I was quite depressed for the first year - I swear that 20 minute period was the only thing that kept me sane! Otherwise, TV has always been part of the bedtime wind down routine - an hour between bathtime and bed, with bed at the end of the programme. And generally not otherwise - although a recent obsession with football seems to be leading to regular father /son "Match of the Day" bonding on Sat or Sun am. Fantastic!

Hi there, I replied to your nanny on the other thread - I agree with Pickle that kiwi mums (and for that matter, other mums) are to some extent likely to be a solution - all a question of attitude. As a mum and previous nanny employer I have no problem hanging out with nannies - as opposed to mums - if I like them and have something in common with them - in my case a bit of an age gap but if they're prepared to put up with a nearly-40 fogey like me then no issue!

Good lord, this place is crawling with kiwis. Maybe I should organise some sort of Waitangi Day bash next year? Our son is a bit older (nearly 6) so not up for the playdate thing - but if you're living in and ever fancy some time out / coming over for a BBQ or babysitting (watching the Super 14) let me know! And do PM me and let me know where in nz you're from (the Bay, myself)

From my perspective the issue is all about whether hours are fixed and predictable - and therefore manageable / capable of advance planning - or not. Many "power" jobs in the City involve not just long hours - but extremely unpredictably hours e.g. being called into an all night meeting with less than an hour's notice - it's those kinds of demands that make parenting with two "power" jobs impossible absent family support or significant outsourcing of childcare.

fuschia - just tried to PM you but your mailbox is full! if you delete a few items I'll try again later...

I'm having a paperback clean out, fair amount of crime fiction (Val McDiarmid, Peter James) and some modern fiction and chick lit - basically bookshelves are full so I am shedding some of the books I don't think I'll read again. If you want to come around and help yourself to some, PM me.

I use Riemann - it's expensive but worth it as it's an oil, rather than a cream (less fuss about putting it on) and it lasts a long time, which avoids the need for reapplication during the school day.

pebbles' description fits with my understanding of the situation as well. Alleyns seems to me to be fiercely competitive - both because it covers secondary as well as primary, and because it is co-ed (families with boys and girls are often keen to send them to the same school). I think it is perceived as more academically selective than the other schools - but I have no real feel for this one way or the other.

Yes, DM, I couldn't agree more (it doesn't however stop all the mums of girls engaging in endless discussions about assessments and generally stressing out about the process, so far as I can tell)(thank heavens I have a boy...)

The key question is what you plan to do during the school holidays - will you require full time care? There are a lot of them. If you do need full time care during the holidays then you are likely heading down the path of full time childcare all year around - maybe a nanny share arrangement? We were lucky enough to have a qualified nanny who brought her own baby along for school pick up / after school care, and was happy to have school holidays off.

I've never taken the P13 (so can't vouch for its reliability) but the walk from the bus stop would be easy. It's a very short walk to the nursery as the entrance is very close to the corner of gallery road and the A205. I think the P13 would be the best bet, though. Unless you're close to the P4 route (forest hill end, or in easy walking distance of Dulwich Village) as the bus stops right outside a walking path with a 2 minute walk to nursery.

EDZ - depends where you're coming from, I guess. I walk from the ED/DV border (DS used to walk, now cycles) and the traffic in the ED Grove - Gallery Road direction is generally fine, in the opposite direction (towards JAPS) it's a nightmare. Parking is fine as people park in the Belair Park car park. Personally I'd go for a bike, and cut through Dulwich Park - but then I don't drive and am fairly evangalical about the benefits of walking or biking to school.... For drop off, doors at the nursery open at 8.50, and children are expected to be in by 9; pick up is around 3-3.10.

Horsebox - I think the N Dulwich machine is now fixed - saw them installing the new one on the 30th....

We took our own and printed them out for the UK passport - beware, though, if you're applying for a passport from another country -- they're generally fussier (the Australian passport office in particular is renowned for rejecting photos - v pleased with myself as I just got my son's renewal passport photos past them today!)

Hooray - what looked to be a new ticket machine at North Dulwich today!

Hi Barry, Just wanted to say how helpful one of your staff at Peckham Rye was last week when my desperate-to-go-to-the-loo 4 year old son and I got off the train and asked whether there was a toilet we could use urgently! She walked us to the ones on the opposite platforms quick smart and without any rolling of eyes / I really don't want to do this attitude. which was nice. Didn't get her name but she had blonde hair in a ponytail and was quite pretty!

There's a note on the MBG Funhouse site saying that donations of clothes are always welcome,may be worth dropping them a mail? http://www.mbgfunhouse.co.uk/

I've also had some bad experiences, but it's a lot better than when we lived in Brockley (was once refused a lift at 11pm when 8 months pregnant - great.). We find that asking for "Dulwich Village" rather than "Dulwich" seems to help a bit (random I know, given that the prime consideration would be distance / ability to get a fare back, as noted above). But re the "no tip" annotation on the receipt, some city firms ask for this sort of statement as confirmation that expenses being claimed don't include a tip amount (I have worked for firms whose policy is not to reimburse any tip component of the fare)

I agree that some of the local private schools - especially for girls - seem, anecdotally at least, to be a bit scary. Without commenting on the core issue -of educational standards - I would say that you can probably discount the issue of whether you are the "right kind of parent". My son is in the nursery department of a boys' independent school and this was something I was completely paranoid about it before he started (while both DH and I have professional jobs we were both state educated and from the wrong side of the tracks, in my case at least). The vast majority of parents have not been at all snobby / obsessed with their children's progress etc etc - sure there are a few, but there a few everywhere. Also I don't agree that the skewed view of society is entirely inevitable. Preventing that is something I take quite seriously :) Good luck with your choice. Surely having a look around can't hurt?