Parenting Carnival: Bringing Up Children In London
Posted by southoftherivermum on May 13th, 2011. Filed under: Family, Growing Up, Places to go.
I think this parenting carnival was made for me so I was so delighted when Ella at Notes from Home forwarded the link.
As the name of my blog suggests (southoftherivermum) I live south of the River Thames in a leafy part of London between Herne Hill and Dulwich Village.
It has all the benefits of living in zone 2 of London without any of the drawbacks. As I’m sitting at my laptop writing this I have the sliding doors open to the garden and all I can hear are birds singing and the odd aeroplane going over and I can’t hear a single car! There ar
e three parks within a ten minute walk which are Brockwell Park, Dulwich Park and Sunray Gardens for when we want to kick a ball around or meet with friends for a picnic. (we are meeting friends in Brockwell Park after school today)
I hate driving, well it’s not actually the driving I hate but the in and out of the car seats and the arguments over who is going to sit in the front. As a result we don’t use the car very often though as we can walk to school, to the park, to the local shops and delis as well as the doctor, dentist, optician, hospital and also my choir and. Riverford delivers our vegetables and fruit and Ocado delivers everything else so we only really get in the car to visit friends and family who live further away.
Dulwich Village Wikipedia
And did I mention schools? We have some great schools within a couple of miles of home inccluding JAGS, Alleyns and Dulwich College. This can be a bit of a mixed blessing though as although they are our local schools they are very popular so competition is fierce. 8yo and 5yo are already there and Little T has his assessment in January. As the children get older they will have all their school friends within walking distance. I hope to have a fairly open house where their friends can drop by and have supper together before they head out together.
We try to make the most of living in London. 8yo has her painting exhibited at Royal College of Art yesterday for the Young Art competition so we nipped up there after school and we often go to the London Southbank at the weekend or get the extended family together and meet for a dim sum lunch in Soho or Elephant & Castle. I work from home and pop into central London for meetings occasionally while OH cycles to work in about 30 mins.Don’t get me wrong, I do love the countryside. We went to visit my sister who lives in Yorkshire for her daughter’s christening at the weekend and the scenery doesn’t get more beautiful than that. I also visit my other sister in Suffolk and friends in on the beach in the Witterings. I grew up in a village in Surrey and went to a boarding school in the middle of no-where and we were allowed out of the grounds to walk 1/2 hour to the sweet shop on a Thursday and to Church on a Sunday. I remember making friends on holiday and being in awe of anyone who said they lived in London.
Some friends are talking about moving out of London to the home counties but I can’t see us moving. OH has lived in London all his life as he was born in Clapham and only moved out to go to uni in Manchester where we met so I think we are both townies through and through.
Here are the other entries in this carnival:
Isil at Smiling Like Sunshine tells us Home is where the heart is.
Jules at I Need Curtains for the Window In My Head posts Why Do I Live Where I Do?
Scribbling Mum explains why she lives where she does.
Jacq from Mymumdom posts about why she lives in London.
Rachel at Midlife Singlemum tells us Why she lives in Israel.
Kelly at Domestic Goddesque tells us about Wonderful, wonderful Bromley, and why I live there.
Bibsey Mama gives us 7 reasons to live in Spain in Cool España.
Helen at Cheeky Wipes tells us There’s Always a Compromise.
Jenny at The Gingerbread House tells us about her home in Our house.
Cass at The Diary of a Frugal Family tells us Home is Where The Heart Is.
Jax at Live Otherwise/Making it Up explains Why I live here. Right here. In this house.
Emma at MummyMummyMum tells us about where she lives.
Cara at Freckles Family posts Where I Call Home.
Merry at Patch of Puddles writes Why I Live Where I Live.
Pure Lanzarote tell us the reasons for their choice in Why live in Lanzarote?
Ella at Notes From Home explains her choices in Why we live where we do.
May 13th, 2011 at 12:17 pm
What a great take on the urban family life and living!
May 13th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
why thank you! I was worried it was a too much!
May 15th, 2011 at 9:02 am
Thank you. Are you writing one for Ella’s carnival at http://notesfromhome.com
May 15th, 2011 at 7:40 pm
Yes that is why I wrote it but then Blogger went down and I think she is linking them up tomorrow. I look forward to reading everyone’s posts at http://notesfromhome.com I think it will make good reading.
hope you had a good weekend.
May 16th, 2011 at 1:35 pm
[...] for the Window In My Head posts Why Do I Live Where I Do?South of the River Mum writes about Bringing up children in London.Scribbling Mum explains why she lives where she does.Jacq from Mymumdom posts about why she lives [...]
May 16th, 2011 at 1:40 pm
[...] for the Window In My Head posts Why Do I Live Where I Do?South of the River Mum writes about Bringing up children in London.Scribbling Mum explains why she lives where she does.Jacq from Mymumdom posts about why she lives [...]
May 16th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
[...] South of the River Mum writes about Bringing up children in London. [...]
May 16th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
[...] South of the River Mum writes about Bringing up children in London. [...]
May 16th, 2011 at 4:41 pm
I got to you through the carnival linky. I also grew up in a London village and I think it offers the best of both worlds – a community, parks and everything on a manageable scale whilst still being part of London. Your teenagers will thank you for it when they are older.
May 16th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
[...] South of the River Mum writes about Bringing up children in London. [...]
May 16th, 2011 at 5:05 pm
[...] South of the River Mum writes about Bringing up children in London. [...]
May 16th, 2011 at 5:16 pm
Thank you for your comment. I hope they will enjoy living in London when they are older. I feel I will be able to keep track of them at bit better too! I am working my way through the other posts and look forward to reading yours.
May 16th, 2011 at 7:14 pm
[...] South of the River Mum writes about Bringing up children in London. [...]
May 16th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
This sort of made me miss living in a city. I’m an Edinburgh lass but haven’t ever lived their with the kids. I like the sound of having their artwork in a gallery like that!!
May 16th, 2011 at 8:26 pm
You make living in London sound fantastic! I worked in London for a few years but have never lived there so don’t feel like I have experienced the London life as you should do.
It must be great to not have to use a car also, I get so fed up of carting 3 children round everywhere in our car. x
May 16th, 2011 at 8:35 pm
My husband and I are both reading this as our biggest debate about our own house move is London vs elsewhere.
You have made a brilliant argument for London! I would love to live somewhere like you do both for myself and for the children as they grow up, lots of wonderful opportunities right on the doorstep, I can’t think of anything better really.
May 17th, 2011 at 8:24 am
[...] South of the River Mum writes about Bringing up children in London. [...]
May 17th, 2011 at 11:30 am
I miss London, I lived in Greenwich for a while, before leaving the UK altogether. I try and get back at least once or twice a year to get rid of the cravings. I couldn’t live in England anymore, but I still love London! You sound like you’ve got the perfect balance, nice one!
May 17th, 2011 at 11:46 am
Ah, I knew there had a be a good reason why so many people live in London – it sounds so lovely!
May 17th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Great post for the carnival.You sound so happy there! We would love to get closer to London,too but this means more commuting for OH.
May 17th, 2011 at 4:38 pm
Thank you so much for that. I love London and can’t imagine living anywhere else. I look forward to reading yours shortly!
May 17th, 2011 at 4:40 pm
Thank you! I look forward to reading your post and seeing what’s it’s like out of London. Take care!
May 17th, 2011 at 4:41 pm
What do you like to do when you come back to London? I love the local feeling of walking to the park and meeting at least a handful of friends on the way. It can get a little much sometimes though when you want to escape!
May 17th, 2011 at 4:44 pm
Thanks for your comment. I’m sure you must have other benefits which outweigh getting in the car though! I love having my friends on the doorstep and meeting them sometimes in the deli after school drop off.
May 17th, 2011 at 4:45 pm
thanks for your comment. I couldn’t believe it when we had the letter through to go to the Royal College of Art after school. It was lovely, if a bit hot with all those kids and proud parents! Edinburgh is so beautiful. I’d like to go with my kids on the train when they are a little older. I look forward to reading your post.
May 19th, 2011 at 6:11 pm
Hi. Visiting for the first time from Notes From Home.
Dulwich is lovely. Lucky you. You can’t beat London for great parks and heaths right? I live in and love Spain but I do miss London… I get a little misty eyed watching the stock London footage during The Apprentice.
May 24th, 2011 at 5:42 pm
hello from Dulwich to Spain. I’m working my way through the Notes from Home posts. They are really lovely. So intersting to find out why people live where they do. Worth exploring. Hope to ‘see’ you at the next Friday carnival (although not this one as I’ll be at Chelsea Flower Show!)
May 29th, 2011 at 12:59 pm
[...] South of the River Mum writes about Bringing up children in London. [...]