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I'm going to be a daddy

Congrats! Our baby girl just turned 9 months a few days ago. I don't sleep much anymore and both my spare time and private space is long gone, but I wouldn't swap it for anything. You've got so much to look forward to.
 
Congrats! Our baby girl just turned 9 months a few days ago. I don't sleep much anymore and both my spare time and private space is long gone, but I wouldn't swap it for anything. You've got so much to look forward to.

Same, my boy was 9 months last week and nothing could have prepared me for the exhaustion/lack of sleep haha... completely worth it though ;)

Got photo evidence of my boy in his Spurs pyjamas from early on.. He's my son so it's only right that he also has to endure the rollercoaster ride of supporting us!
 
What ridiculous advice from Papercut a normally decent poster IMO. Absolute cobblers re private ed and 30 in a class.

Anyway, congratulations mate. Mine is now 4 and boos at everything red from cars on the road to a tshirt worn by someone in the street!

All the best.
 
Congrats Marky - as a dad of two, boy and girl, you're going to love which ever version pops out. Here's hoping it all goes well.
 
Congrats Marky - from the beach in Mombasa. I will have a couple of cold beers at lunch time, on your behalf, as I watch the Indian Ocean. I have a boy & girl - grown up now, been to uni, married etc. It has been a fantastic journey - with all the ups & downs.
 
What ridiculous advice from Papercut a normally decent poster IMO. Absolute cobblers re private ed and 30 in a class.

Anyway, congratulations mate. Mine is now 4 and boos at everything red from cars on the road to a tshirt worn by someone in the street!

All the best.

Depends what options you want to give your child. I have quite a few friends who are excellent primary school teachers and they talk about the numbers the establishments need to deliver (blame the Government for that). They skew the figures so that over-achieving children are made to look like the school has helped them achieve and under-achieving children are marked lower so when they do get their results, it's like they've achieved better. It's not a lie, trust me. In addition, if you want your child to go to a top school then the options are you tutor them to death or you send them to a prep school - it's so much tougher doing it the state school way (not impossible but as I say, you'll need to pay for tutors). And having 30 kids in a class will stunt any talented child's progress - particularly if there are SEN kids that need focusing on too - you cannot compare that to a class that's half the size (assuming the private school doesn't max out near 30 too).

You can then go to flexibility (i.e. if you want to take your child out of school for a day for something very educational) there's no leeway for that in a state school whereas the latter can use their discretion if they feel it offers something.

The teachers aren't necessarily better that's for sure but the numbers they have to deal with make a difference. And let's face it - they need to deliver because they're getting paid for it...

Of course it's not for everyone but if you see your child is academically gifted then it's nice to be able to have an option. I'd say it's a lot easier if you only have the one child (financially) and it's not that far off the cost of childcare (so I'm told).

I grew up in Wood Green and went to a state school that's now considered pretty poor if you look at the Ofsted. That said, I thrived in it and was head-hunted by the secondary school I went to (just went downhill from there haha). We did however have smaller classes, less year forms and less bureaucracy. Most kids however ended up at the local crappy secondary schools.

If it wasn't for the social aspect (which can be sorted but it's tough) I'd home-school all the way.

Anyway - that's another discussion and I've derailed the thread. My point was to save up and give himself options. He can always spend it on a mortgage instead ;)
 
Congratulations!

I became a father in february, a little boy called Lionel.

Maybe you are lucky like us, absolutely no fuss with him. Sleeps the night through and is just a happy, laughing baby.

Enjoy it:)
 
Congratulations :)

Enjoy your money whilst you've got it, you won't have for long. And one piece of advice: When you're out in public, and have to change a nappy in a baby changing room: Never ever ever open the nappy bin until you're literally about to run back out of the door.

30 in a class isn't anything new, I had 30 in my classes at school! Nor did it have any seeming detriment to mine, or my classmates careers...

My not-so-little ones, now:
IrO0n1Z.jpg
 
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Following things lead this is about to become a "dad's punishing their children by making them spurs fans" thread.

My little one just after his 4th bday at his 1st game ( fa cup defeat to Leicester ).
 
If you're little one is 4 years old, he probably knows how to work the internets better than you by now.

My almost 4 year old can find anything Frozen on Youtube starting from scratch. My 2 year old knows how to turn on the telly, turn on the DVD player and put on Peppa Pig.
 
100% spurs fan or it wont watch football haha

I think I will give my kids the choice, but I won't ever take them to go and watch whoever they support if it is not Spurs. As long as it ain't Arsenal I will give them the choice, but of course I will try and nudge them towards Spurs.
 
I think I will give my kids the choice, but I won't ever take them to go and watch whoever they support if it is not Spurs. As long as it ain't Arsenal I will give them the choice, but of course I will try and nudge them towards Spurs.
No way, it's Spurs or nothing from me haha
 
You guys... :D

You cannot compare the attention given in a class of 15 to a class of 30...

A lot of schools now have years containing 90 to 120 kids (whereas a private school may have that number in total) - that is a lot isn't it? Particularly if they are to be recognised. Now add other local schools vying for places at top schools.

I'm talking about schools now and come qualified with opinions of heads and teachers (and I was close to doing a PGCE). There is far too much bureaucracy in our schools now - ask a newly qualified teacher friend what they think. Ask them if it's as simple as being the primary version of John Keating.

Of course you can go into the top schools from state schools! But do not compare it to the chances you have coming from prep schools (the clue is in the name).

Yes the kids aren't necessarily brighter in private schools and the teachers not necessarily better (quite the same actually) but they do have different system of education and they aren't governed by Ofsted. We went to the best state school in the area and it is lovely but the parents (from Year 1 onwards!) cannot stop b1tching and complaining about the grading, setting of standards and plateauing of their children...

And I mentioned the flexibility - this is particularly good if you want to spend a day doing something educational without the hustle and bustle of other kids.

Oh and it really isn't a class thing - the parents I've met have come from humble backgrounds but decided that the extra income they have earned goes to this type of schooling.

This was the right decision for us and there is more to it without me getting specific (and it was an incredibly difficult journey).

I'll leave it there. Please start a thread about it if you need a debate.

Marky - welcome to parenting! haha! :)
 
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