Blog List

You can tell when AJ is serious about something when the pencils and paper come out. It doesn't happen often – we're in the midst of a phase where writing and drawing fit squarely into the category of homework, and homework is (I've been told) "lame." But when he has a plan he writes it down. He draws a diagram. And he lets everyone know. In pride of place on one of his bookshelves...

One thing I have vowed never ever to say to a mum of young kids is “enjoy them while they’re young” or “the years pass so fast”. If I had a euro for every time some well-meaning older mother said this to me, I could fund a trip to Disneyland Paris – or at the very least, Tayto Park. Of course we want to enjoy the children we have been blessed with and to appreciate every second we...

Surely the next best thing to being blessed with a great mother, is to be blessed with a great auntie. It’s probably fair to say that in the majority of cases, the best aunties – the ones we are truly closest to – are your mother’s sisters. Maybe it’s because we know them better from spending more time with them as kids or maybe it’s because so often the good ones are like your own...

When our son was born in July 2011 it was such an amazing day. It was the day that my husband and I became a family. Since his birth I’ve always been grateful that I savoured every moment as best I could and I still do. Now nearly four years on I’d love nothing more than to press stop, hit rewind and play it all again. This August my son will be starting Montessori and while I’m looking...

As I write, the Leaving Certer is delightedly chucking stacks of English notes into the recycling bin, and by June 15 th , I will have to make a special trip to the dump to dispose of the remains of 13 years of schooling. After just two papers, however, he has already announced that he is “bored with exams”. Boredom, fear, exhaustion, worry, relief, panic — these are just some of the...

My daughter turned to me the other day and said: “Let’s take a selfie!” She was dressed up in a new dress and did look extremely pretty, but I was a bit taken aback. How does she even know what that word is? She’s only four! Did I teach her that word? When was the last time I used that word? I couldn’t remember. I’m not a big fan of selfies. Yes, I love taking photographs but if...

Most of us remember the first pet we had when we were kids, and just how utterly devastating it was when they died. Even now, nearly 30 years later, I can vividly remember how I felt when my first my terrapin and then my rabbit died. Both happened years apart but they definitely introduced me to the unpredictability of life at an early age. Sadly, my daughter experienced that awful feeling last...

Last Saturday morning, I had a neighbour lean conspiratorially across the low wall which divides our front gardens and gesture I come closer for a chat. Inwardly I sighed, replaced my shopping bags in the boot and reluctantly mooched forward with a vague smile. Well, I think it was vague, but it was probably more strained than anything. There is nothing wrong with this woman per se, but she’s...

So, what exactly has Kim Kardashian done wrong here? Ever since the mum-of-one announced she was expecting her second child mere days ago, she’s been exposed to extensive media ridicule, much of which has little grounding in reality. Jokes and suggestions that childbirth is the only hard labour she’s ever experienced fell flat as I took a moment to consider the intense criticism levelled at...

I brought my children to the zoo on Saturday and instead of marvelling at the array of wild animals almost within touching distance, I found myself mesmorised by fellow families. While obviously I encounter other families on a daily basis, these interactions are generally fleeting and ones to which I don’t offer much thought. However, last weekend saw me wander for two hours in the company of...