u/Smashers086

We’ve recently started reading together again at bedtime (and sometimes during the day) with my daughter, who’s almost 6. We actually stopped for about six months because story time had turned into her just messing around, but we’ve given it another go and it’s been such a lovely change.

Today we finished The Twits and got about a quarter of the way through James and the Giant Peach.

She can’t read independently yet, but she’s absolutely loving longer chapter books being read aloud.

I’d love some recommendations for books suitable for 6+. She’s very curious, bright, has a great imagination, and doesn’t really get frightened by things that might be a bit scary for other children.

So far I’m thinking:
Roald Dahl (working through these)
Harry Potter (is almost 6 too young?)

What chapter books did your kids love at this age? I’m especially interested in books that are brilliant to read aloud

I’m really interested to know what everyone else’s after-school routine looks like, especially if you have a primary school child and a baby.

Our eldest is almost 6 and our youngest is 4 months old.

My husband works from home full-time til 6pm at night in quite a busy and demanding job.

Our rough schedule will be something like:

I do school pick up 3:30
Unpack bags & lunchbox
Screen time / playing for 6 year old
Dinner for 6 year old at 5pm
Baby goes to bed 6pm
Play with 6 year old and then upstairs to bath between 7-8
6 year old bed time at 8pm
8pm - make dinner (husband)
Chill and watch tv and go to bed

I’d love to know what everyone else’s afternoons and evenings look like.
Do your children do after-school clubs or come straight home?
When do they have dinner?
Do you cook one meal for everyone or separate meals for the kids and adults?
How do you divide things up between partners?
Any tips for making the evening feel less rushed?

I’m hoping to get some ideas before I head back to work in 2 months

I’m looking for some advice from fellow Cape Town residents.

Our domestic worker and her husband are originally from Malawi and have lived in South Africa for many years.

They are incredibly hardworking, kind people and have become very important to our family.

Recently they’ve started experiencing more xenophobic comments and hostility in the area where they live. It’s not severe enough to involve the police, but it’s enough that they’re beginning to feel uncomfortable and are considering moving somewhere else.

I’d like to support them if I can. I’m considering helping with a rental deposit or moving costs, but I’m wondering whether there are other practical ways people have helped employees, domestic workers, gardeners, nannies, or other staff members who have found themselves in a similar situation.

I’m not looking to start a political debate. I’m genuinely looking for constructive ways to support two people who work hard, contribute to their community, and deserve to feel safe where they live.

Edit - husband here legally. Wife not but working on getting this sorted at the moment (she is leaving the country to apply from her country of origin)

My five year old LOVES spotting the Mavericks plane every Thursday and Friday when it’s doing it’s loops of Cape Town. She’s started shouting loudly ‘MAVERICKS’ every time we see it and we’ve been getting some looks 🤣🤣🤣 She keeps asking me what it is and I just say ‘it’s a dancing club for adults!!’ - anyone else’s little one equally obsessed with it?

We got our pet and animal loving 5 year old a hamster fully understanding that we’d be the ones who’d have to look after it. We clean out his cage weekly, fed him and ensure he’s generally happy but our daughter barely never plays with him / shows any interest in the hamster unless we encourage her to do so.

We put the hamster in her room initially but he was too noisy at nighttime on his wheel 🤣. We feel a bit bad for the hamster that he is basically hardly ever played with or stimulated and lives a very boring life in his cage. It’s also additional work to keep on top of his cage etc every few days.

We have said to her if she doesn’t play with him or show any interest we’ll rehome him. She always says she’ll play with him etc but never does.

What do we do now? Do we just go ahead and rehome the hamster knowing she’ll be upset? Or do we make up a white lie that the hamster ‘died in his sleep’ and is in hamster heaven and still rehome him?

She has a busy life with school / friends / extra murals etc and I don’t think she really had the capacity to think ‘I should play with the hamster’ - we have a dog and two cats and she plays with them but I suppose they’re a bit more exiting!

What is the fairest thing to do here? Rehome and explain why (knowing she’ll be upset that we gave away her pet) or makeup a scenario about him dying in his sleep and rehoming him anyway.

And yes. Let this be a lesson to all - 5 is too young for a hamster.

Sorry for the long post but I just want to do right by them both - a happy child and not a neglected hamster!

Pretty much just that! My 11 week old won’t take a dummy / pacifier and I have spent a small fortune on brands - I have tried MAM, avene, bibs, Dr Browns happy paci you name it! She just spits them out.

She has reflux and I know it would really help her when she’s unsettled. My first daughter loved her dummy and we found it really helped as a nap cue etc.

How to I encourage her to take one?

My 5-year-old has her chickenpox vaccination coming up on Thursday. She had her routine vaccines a few months ago and really struggled with them - she was very brave and got through it, but afterwards she was quite shaken, went very pale, and said she never wants to do that again.

Now I’m unsure how to handle telling her about this next one. I don’t want to build up anxiety by telling her too early, but I also don’t want to blindside her by just showing up at the doctor.

Her 10-week-old baby sister is also getting her vaccinations the same day, so I’m wondering if framing it as “showing your sister how it’s done” might help - but I don’t want to put pressure on her either.

Would you tell a child this age the day before? The morning of? Or earlier?

Any tips on how to handle it in a calm, low-anxiety way would be really appreciated.

(Please no anti-vax comments, just looking for advice on how to support her through it.)