Blog List

Just before Easter my five-year-old daughter asked me if the Easter Bunny was real. I wasn’t expecting her to ask out of the blue, so I just said “yes of course!” in high pitched don’t-be-ridiculous voice. You know kids though, they are smart enough to know when you are faltering and trying to tell even the whitest lie. I don’t think my little one was remotely convinced, especially since...

Mums often put themselves under unnecessary stress when it comes to how to handle situations when their kid meets a person who is different from them. However, it’s time we gave our sons and daughters the credit that they deserve, and perhaps learn a thing or two from them in the process. Recently while out and about catching up on family-time with my seven-year-old, we came across an exhibition...

My husband and my six-year-old daughter had a bit of a dispute last weekend. Actually, that’s a complete understatement. Grace and her dad had a screaming match. Hearing your partner’s voice boom across the house, aware that it’s aimed at your six-year-old daughter can make your heart momentarily stand still. My immediate thought was that she had put herself in danger because my partner only...

As I helped my daughter get ready for her first morning back at preschool after the Easter break, I couldn't help but think how this week would bring such huge change for my beautiful family. In January 2014, following a difficult journey trying to conceive through the assistance of fertility medication, I took ill at just five months pregnant. After taking a turn in work, I was rushed to the...

I may be vilified for my lack of compassion in this instance, but I’m afraid I can’t keep schtum on this one. 17-year-old reality TV star, Kylie Jenner, has been forced to address controversy which has stemmed from an online craze which paid tribute to the star's unique look. The ‘Kylie Jenner Challenge’, which has apparently taken social media by storm, has seen an inordinate number...

The writer Calvin Trillin once said: “The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.” Now I would consider myself an above-average cook. When it comes to dinners, I can feed many, and feed them well. I have a few go-to dishes that I could perhaps be criticised for replaying once too often...

“I follow you?” is the constant refrain from The Toddler these days. As much as I love the little lady, this particular phrase drives me to distraction. I find it hugely irritating that, wherever I go, there she is right behind me. Now, I am mostly for my children following in my footsteps, except for a few times where I possibly made the wrong choice. That time in Mexico springs to mind...

As mums, we pick up many skills that we never, in our carefree childfree days, thought we might need. One such skill is being able to instantly deduce from the sound of your child’s cry – whether it’s volume, pitch or tone – the seriousness of a particular situation. Usually you listen with one ear while carrying on with the multitude of other tasks you are engaged in; sometimes you stop...

I started back to full time work last week after months of stressing, organising, researching and panicking about finding childcare. It started with me worrying that I’d be forced to get a loan out of the credit union before I’d even done a day of work, just to cover all the deposits and up-front fees required by crèches in my neighbourhood. On visiting a crèche with dark rooms and the...

“Mum, tell him to turn down that television!” “Mum, they’re fighting again!” “Muuum!” There was always a commotion at bedtime. With three sons and just two bedrooms between them, mayhem regularly broke out. The eldest son had his own room and yet it was he who always complained about the noise of his brothers next door. I recall going to my own bed some nights and thinking how great...