"Look at you in your gorgeous dress!" I said to my friend's five-year-old daughter, then remembered, too late, that I'm trying to avoid telling little girls that they're beautiful. This was prompted by a Huff Post article I read a few months ago that suggested asking little girls about a book they've recently read instead of ...
"How was your day?" What do you reply? I guess it depends who asks. If it's Facebook, your day might look great. If it's your other-half, you might be very tired. If it's a friend, it might depend on the context. If she had a bad day, you might commiserate with your own low points. If ...
Recently scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed, I came across this: It had been "liked" by over 1.2 million people at that stage. I was taken aback to see that so many people agreed with the sentiment; agreed that spanking children is a good thing to do. Agreed that teaching children that physically hurting someone or humiliating ...
This is a post for any first time or expectant mothers out there; some tips that I wish I'd known when I was having my first baby six years ago. Information is power - that's an inarguable truth. But where to get the information? How do you know if it's the right information? And where to find the time ...
"Mum can I tell you something?" I looked down at the sad little face of my four-year-old and tensed slightly, hoping it would be that she was thirsty or hungry (states often inexplicably accompanied by a sombre tone) "Today the twins in my class - you know Sarah and Robert*? They brought in Christmas cards and gave ...
"He loves his new baby sister" enthused my work colleague about his little boy, "he's not jealous at all, he's always hugging and kissing her, he's so good" Great so, the upcoming birth of my second child was bound to lead to exactly the same kind of loveliness. I wasn't just basing this assumption on one ...
My third child is discovering nursery rhymes. For the first time ever, I sang Baa Baa Black Sheep for him this week - he will be two years old soon, so this is not something to boast about. I also showed him Round and Round the Garden for the first time - he loves it. And ...
Tongue Tie. Have you heard of it? Most people haven't. I hadn't, when my third baby was born a week before Christmas in 2011. I felt very blessed to have a healthy baby, and excited that we now had a boy. I felt confident about breastfeeding. So very different to how I felt when my first baby was ...
Motherhood can be lonely. Especially the first time. When you don't know anything much, and you're overwhelmed by this small, soft, wriggling being for whom you have suddenly become responsible. When it's your first child, and you have no toddler or pre-schooler to keep you busy, but keep you company and keep you laughing, while you tend ...
This is how homework goes in our house: Me: Clara please can you come and start your homework Clara: (silence) Me: Please, come on, we need to get started Clara: In a minute mum Multiply this and various other responses by well, a lot, and fast forward to half an hour later, when we finally get to opening some worksheets. Me: ...