sock ties and other miscellaneous queries

[pinkhebe]

I hope it's ok to start a new thread on what is quite a common subject,
I've read the 'good luck to the second form' and 'helpful hints for new parents' which are very helpful, but they are already quite long and a few years old so I thought I'd start a new one, as I keep comming up with questions and I'm sure that the other new parents will find it helpful to add to it as well

So Q1, I have never heard of 'sock ties' can you buy them anywhere or do I have to make them out of something?

Q2, My son is very into scouts and so I was wondering when they can join, is it fairly soon into term. It's the one thing I think he'll miss about home life.

Q3, He's a total bookworm and we frequent the library alot. Does the library stock fiction books or is it just reference? I can't afford to buy him 5 books every 3 weeks!

Q4, Are your children happy there?

[SAS]

So Q1, I have never heard of 'sock ties' can you buy them anywhere or do I have to make them out of something?

Two ways - either buy a long length of binding tape / hemming tape and cut it into smaller lengths
or
(the thrifty one) I cut up some old muslins into strips and used them.

They are to tie pairs of socks together before they go into the wash so need to be long enough for their purpose. You sew the strip to the top of the sock.

[wickedwitch]

2. Scouts is great fun. My daughter joined pretty early on.
3. The library is apparently 'awesome'. Daughter is a speed reading bookworm and says that she loves the library because she never has to wait for the next book in a series as CH has everything. She reads everything from chic lit to pretty heavy sci-fi.
4. most of the time. IF she phoned up totally happy every single day i would be worried as she never was at home! She is 12, hormonal and living with a houseful of girls. It can be bitch central there sometimes. She spent the first half of the year totally homesick until it all clicked into place and now she tells me that she misses her friends when she comes home. She is doing really well academically - because peer pressure is the norm (in a good way) and the routine doesnt really give her time to mope. We have now had a few phone calls where she says she is 'really, really happy'. IT takes time but she's obviously blooming. I'm sure yours will too.
Hope that helps

Nicky x

[CHDad]

Re scouts - I was told that it was "social suicide" for my son to join. However this is completely incorrect. The Scout troop is thriving and growing and my son loves it. They meet on Wednesday nights and obviously have weekend activities / camps sometimes as well.

[juicymum]

4-My DS is very very happy, we had to make a choice between two independent schools in south croydon and CH. One of the very best choices I have ever made. first few weeks just like everything can be a bit worrying after the first leave weekend when they have their mobile phones.... it is much easier. There are so many activites and I have wachted my DS over the past few months flourishing and opening up into a very fine young man. He has made lots of friend and though he misses home which is natural, seems to be in his natural element whenever i drop him back. I was very disappointed the last time after christmas holiday ,when approaching the entrance to Lamb B my DS sighed ''home sweet home'' Then I knew he was truly happy. My DS loves reading as well and I understand the library is well stocked.He is doing well academically as I guess it is very competitive and enjoys being with his peers.
1- i just bought bias binding which has done the job well. Barnesmum is an angel and can help with more details,smiley faces and sweeties Congratulation on getting in. This will be the best journey your child will ever take in their life. It will only be for 7 or so years, but believe me, what they will learn will be over a lifetime. All the best

[YadaYada]

Sock ties - I use 'white tape' from the haberdashers - that is what I ask for - is cheap as chips and works well.

Scouts - think they join very quickly and it is well loved by those that are into scouts.

Reading - I stock my son up with enough books for 3 weeks......am interested to hear that the library is very well stocked.....may encourage him in that direction!!

Happy? - second-form - yes, no, yes, no.....etc. It was a very up and down year. Third Form - yes, yes, yes!! Settled and loving it. Well worth struggling through second form.

[Atticus]

I was wondering about the sock ties too..

I went into broadbridges this afternoon - ouch to the cost of the sports kit.
Do the scouts at ch wear standard scout uniform ? - dd has only just joined guides, and I know nothing about scout uniform!

[YadaYada]

Unless your child is going to be in the sports teams you can get away with non-branded sports kit - white polo shirts, navy trackies etc. My son has only 1 or 2 crested polo shirts (from the Thrift Shop) and the rest are plain white polo shirts. I did buy a branded tracksuit (ouch!) - he never wore the top and plain blue trackie pants so just as well. BUT, he is not Mr Sporty and not in school teams.

[wickedwitch]

check whether second hand has any spare games kit.
my daughter has never mentioned scout uniform though i recall that she once lost a woggle.... i've not been asked for money for it.

[CHDad]

Re library - my son uses the library as well and has even brought some free books home that were being given away (old "stock").

Re enjoying CH - definitely yes. He was a little bit homesick to start with but not badly and not even in the first 3 weeks, it just took him a term to get used to the new life. I think the biggest problem is tiredness as they have such a full day, every day. He has now learnt to manage and deal with this (even has a nap sometimes after rugby) and I feel as though he has really hit his stride this term and is starting to settle in fully.

[CHDad]

Re Scout uniform - I don't think they have to wear it to most meetings so I would not worry too much to start off with, wait and see how she gets on.

[dinahcat]

To save yourself the trouble of sewing on a name tape and a tie you can write the name with a marker on the bit of the tie that is inside the sock. I am not sure if this makes sense ... perhaps I have been driven mad mad mad by the interminable sewing on of sock ties.

[englishangel]

Perhaps I should sew sock ties on our socks at home, and name them too. It was fine when I bought all the socks, but now each buys their own and three of us take size 7 and the other Size 8 and I don't know which belong to whom (except daughters flowery/spotty/stripy ones).

[SAS]

Me too! "Sock matching" is a job dreaded by everyone here. Am hoping my son ends up with size 11 feet so that I stop wearing his by mistake.

[sejintenej]

Me too! "Sock matching" is a job dreaded by everyone here. Am hoping my son ends up with size 11 feet so that I stop wearing his by mistake.

For men M & S have several ranges with solid and/or multi-coloured and / or striped feet; you can get each male member of the house different socks but with identical colours appearing above the shoe. They come as bulkbuys with each pair different so it is easy to say that Fred has blue and Bob has pink (suits him?) .....