Anatomy of an Afternoon

lunch boxes - office mum

I made three new year's resolutions this year; one for work, one for running, and one for home -  this is the home one: "fix afternoons with the kids so they're less chaotic." But unlike my work and running goals, the home goal isn't specific, nor is it measurable, and it didn't come with any kind of ...

I’m going to be the best parent ever… honest

hygge

Kissing each child goodnight, I said the same thing - in my head so I wouldn't wake them - I said "From now on, I'm going to be the best parent ever." It's something I often say when I'm kissing them at night - when they're fast asleep and it's easy to want to do ...

How To Beat The Daylight Savings Impact – For Parents of Small Kids

daylight savings - clocks - office mum

A few years ago, I was at a party the day after the clocks went back, chatting to a friend of a friend. She was bemoaning the fact that her child had woken up even earlier than usual that morning. "He usually wakes at 6.30," she said, "But this morning because of the clocks changing, ...

Censoring kids’ reading (or not) and running a book clinic

Reading - Office Mum

"And then the sixteen-year-old found out she was pregnant too, and she wanted to run away with her boyfriend!" This was the sentence that left me speechless last year, when my then seven-year-old was recounting the plot of the book she was reading. It was a Jacqueline Wilson book that we'd picked up second-hand at the ...

Dear Universe, I’d like a little word

on the way to Sandycove - Office Mum

Dublin, August 2016 Dear Universe, I'd like a little word about something. You see, we had this deal - I do the right thing, and you don't punish me. A very straight-forward agreement. But you don't seem to be holding up your side of the bargain these days, and I think we need to thrash it out. Take ...

Overthinking it at the Sandpit

rope bridge Clara Lara - Office Mum

"Mum, can I go into the sandpit?" Hurrah! Music to my tired ears, after an hour following him around slides and swings and zip-lines and rope bridges. I'll just sit on the side here and keep an eye on him in case he throws sand or walks off to try something else. I might just check my phone in ...

How I Stopped Shouting at my Kids

Elephant - Office Mum

My name is Andrea, I'm a yeller, and it's been 163 days since I last shouted at my kids. By no coincidence, it’s precisely 163 days since I had a blow-out shouting match with my six-year-old. She is a chilled out child – my easy one. But unlike her siblings, who are more used to getting in trouble ...