Helpful Tips for New Parents please!!!

[huggermugger]

Very big one -

LABEL EVERYTHING!! Iron-on labels don't survive the professional-style laundry system so unfortunately all of the clothing/bedding ones have to be sewn on. I use the sewing machine for most of it and if I never sew a tape & label on another sock it will be far, far too soon. I bought stick-on labels & an indelible pen for everything else.

imho the bedding needs to be pure cotton, the thicker the better, as the washing system knocks the stuffing out of anything polycotton. And we were given the very sound advice that plastic zips & poppers get melted as it all (bedding) goes through a big ironing machine (or something). (I'm dying to get a peek at the laundry some day). I find on the whole that synthetics in general don't survive particularly well.

And let's hear it for the sewing ladies who rescue labels in distress and refix them when necessary, as well as sewing on buttons; if asked nicely & bribed with biscuits.

Apart from the official CH tracksuit, which has been a bit of a white elephant for us, my DS needs all the kit & more (particularly football/rugby socks, shorts & polo shirts). He says he needs more because the washes aren't done often enough to get his games kit back to him in time for the next time he needs it. This may be because he doesn't put it in promptly enough! But they do get plastered with mud playing rugby & football. The DM's are the only shoes that stand up to the wear and tear imho

[huggermugger]

Hi Lonelymom... yes tuck still disappears, I'm afraid. Sorry to say it seems endemic in DS's House. Maybe it's because they're boys? What are other people's experiences of things going missing?

[Mrs C.]

The school dentist is still Mr Wiffen and he is in school one or two mornings most weeks.
The school orthodontist retired last year and we now use a practice in town where there are 2 very good orthodontists.
Children are driven down for their appointments (usually by me!) and ideally are away from school no longer than about an hour.

Unless you live locally I would advise you to register with the school dentist as he is always able to deal with emergengies at his practice in town if necessary.

LIkewise it is expected that you register with the school doctor.

During in-school visits to the doctor and dentist, the pupils are unaccompanied, also for visits to the orthodontists (who are quite happy to speak or write to parents) . For any external appointment pupils under 16 are accompanied by myself or another member of the Health Centre team. Parents are advised of the appointment and of course are welcome to accompany their child if they are able!

[Momto2]

Hello Huggermugger - good to see you As you know our boys are in the same house and the disappearing tuck has been a problem for my son since he was a junior and it's stil happening now that he's a Dep!

One other thing I seem to remember is that you are asked to get your child's eyes tested before they start at CH - I'm not imagining things am I? I'm sure it was at that appointment that the optician found my son needed glasses - now contacts.

We initially registered our son with the school dentist but were never told of appointments and he carried out a lot of work on our son without our knowledge though he did say he had written to us - letter never received. He is now back with our own dentist and we didn't move our daughter at all - it's very dependent on where you live - we're only 40 mins or so away and can get it all done without too much disruption to school life if there is an emergency.

The infirmary staff are fantastic - my daughter was very ill a couple of years ago and ended up in hospital. I went to see her in the school infirmary when she was first taken ill and it was wonderful - truly like the san from the Enid Blyton books and the infirmary sister is just lovely

Mrs C - who is the lovely man who takes the injured children to hospital in Crawley? Daughter again - broken collar bone.

PS: Mrs C - it was me who was looking on lamely while my husband and son changed my tyre on the Friday of the last leave weekend - daughter didn't tell me it was you until you had gone or I would have introduced myself

[lonelymom]

The school dentist is still Mr Wiffen and he is in school one or two mornings most weeks.
The school orthodontist retired last year and we now use a practice in town where there are 2 very good orthodontists.

Thanks Mrs C! I told you my memory was bad - I remember someone retiring, couldn't remember who!! Yes, in that case it is Mr Whiffen who is very patient, very reassuring and an altogether lovely dentist (according to my daughter).

And Mrs C, thanks for all the Ortho trips you take my daughter to Very much appreciated.

[Momto2]

Those ladies who do the sewing are fantastic - my children call them the Middle Ladies so I am assuming that is their title

[huggermugger]

Hello Momto2 - bit like old times... when shall we three meet again...??!

Slightly reassured, in a strange way, to hear that the Mystery of the Disappearing Tuck happens even to strapping lads like yours! Certainly a number of the boys seem to have gained GCSE Safecracking. No doubt will stand them in good stead...

[Mrs C.]

Mrs C - who is the lovely man who takes the injured children to hospital in Crawley? Daughter again - broken collar bone.

PS: Mrs C - it was me who was looking on lamely while my husband and son changed my tyre on the Friday of the last leave weekend - daughter didn't tell me it was you until you had gone or I would have introduced myself

If it was before Christmas it was the American guy, Woody , who has sadly returned to the US
I visit all the hospitals at some point with injured children - they know me well at Horsham`s Minor Injury Unit!!

I did wonder if it was you, as I recognised your daughter!
if I`d realised you could have come in for a cuppa while the men worked!

[huggermugger]

Middle ladies - that's them... very comforting sounding sort of name. They have been known to hand out biscuits to Small Boys who need them.

[huggermugger]

And Mrs C! Won't be rude enough to include you in the coven but hello to you too. My very own school gate...

[huggermugger]

No, you didn't imagine the eye test. We also discovered the need for (weak) glasses. I think they lasted a term before they disappeared... ho hum.

[lonelymom]

Hi Lonelymom... yes tuck still disappears, I'm afraid. Sorry to say it seems endemic in DS's House. Maybe it's because they're boys? What are other people's experiences of things going missing?

I'm going to try to remember to ask my daughter about this (will need to write a note to myself to remember to ask her - aforementioned bad memory). I'm sure none of her tuck has even been stolen, she would have told me (I hope!). I know of a few occasions when money has disappeared, culprit found once, other two times gone undetected. And a mobile that was lost/stolen, not recovered. Apart from that, as far as I know, nothing has gone missing at all. I don't know why it should be any different in boys houses to girls houses though, huggermugger. Maybe my daughter just hasn't bothered to tell me about other occurences, will try to find out.

[huggermugger]

Well, I have realised that there is quite a lot of variation between houses, both in character, which of course is inevitable but also in how they do things and even what rules they implement/enforce. I understand there is a desire by the Headmaster to move towards more consistency in how the Houses are run, hopefully by looking at best practice & implementing that. Like all change, it is probaly going down better in some quarters than in others...

[lonelymom]

I understand there is a desire by the Headmaster to move towards more consistency in how the Houses are run, hopefully by looking at best practice & implementing that.

How exactly? What sort of changes?

[huggermugger]

Sorry, that's all I know!