It’s easy to become immune to stories of nurseries closing, there seems to be so many of them. But it’s now happening in my ‘back yard’, which I admit has made me sit up and take notice.

I’m shocked to hear that the nursery at South Bermondsey Children’s Centre has been earmarked for closure by the council (along with Bishop’s House Children’s Centre, also in the London borough Southwark – Nursery World, 2 April). I understand that money is tight and cuts need to be made but closing a ‘jewel in the community’ – and this is a socially deprived area that needs all the assets it can get – has surely got to be the wrong choice.

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A bedtime book with a difference has topped the Amazon bestseller chart a month before its publication. Forget lullabyes and cuddles, this one’s entitled, ‘Go the F*ck to Sleep’ and comes with the publisher’s warning that it’s, thankfully, ‘definitely not a book to read to your child’. Read more »

It’s happened, the buggy has broken the £1,000 price barrier with the anticipated UK launch of the Bugaboo Donkey. It’s predicted to be the latest ‘yummy mummy’ status symbol in parks and coffee shops around the country. But are the smug parents and carers going to be the ones who have found out the delights of baby slings and carriers rather than those who have broken the bank while purchasing a pram? Read more »

‘Teeth are not for biting’ stated the behaviour wall display at a lovely nursery I visited this week. I just question if they’re not for biting then why do we have teeth, to make our smiles nicer? Read more »

Children’s minister Sarah Teather visited students on the New Leaders in Early Years programme last week and I tagged along too. Read more »

Since my in-laws came to stay, previously unseen dangers have started lurking everywhere my toddler ventures. Could she bang her head on the table? Might she hit her fingers while playing with the hammer block?  Read more »

Oh the irony – I was writing a feature on marketing (We’re here! Nursery World, 20 January) while trying to track down details of a nursery local to my home.

Despite being only a short walk from where I live it’s tucked away from the main road and I’ve only recently stumbled upon it. Of course, as I’m sat at my computer all day, I Googled the nursery’s name. I found its  Ofsted report and also a short business listing but no website. The report was outstanding so why are they not shouting about themselves and telling local parents how wonderful they are? Read more »

Has Eastenders gone a leap too far with the latest baby death and swap storyline? Actress Samantha Womack has defended it as being about ‘producing dramatic television’ but is it this or simply a tasteless way to increase ratings in the new year? Read more »

An innocent, proud dad comment from Labour leader Ed Miliband on the BBC news last week triggered alarm bells. I just knew he was going to get slated for casually pointing to shelves of formula milk and commenting on which one his baby Samuel has.

In the following days he’s been branded as ‘naive’ and his parenting decisions have been questioned.

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‘If the nursery is going to let dd have such a big nap so late then they should babysit her so I can have a glass of wine in peace!’…’It pisses me off to have to pay someone to look after a sleeping child’…’My daughter is still going to bed later than normal and I don’t have a life.’ Read more »