Our four-year-old has unfortunately learnt a new word. Normally you’d be thrilled when a child with speech delays says a new word.
I say unfortunately, as it’s a word he should not be saying. Continue reading
children
What the parenting books don’t tell you
Congratulations! You’ve found out you’re having a baby. Fab news.
You’ve bought a couple of parenting books to read, so you know what to expect. You’re feeling confident that you can handle it all.
Well, here are some things that the baby books don’t tell you… Continue reading
Raging Saturday nights
How parenting changes us. You go from being a young, relatively care-free individual, to one who can now name all the characters of the Octonauts. Continue reading
Toddlers: when a green plate means the end of the world
Toddlers. Delightful small humans. Some days they just make your heart almost burst from so much love, other days, you want to sign up for a bulk wine home delivery service.
Welcome to the phase of parenting that will make you feel like you’re living with small, drunk, bi-polar pirates… Continue reading
5 things every parent needs to know
When you’re a parent, or about to become a parent, you will read about all the things you need, and need to know. Here’s a secret. Most of those lists are crap.
You don’t need a 12-speed baby swing. You don’t need baby clothes that are hand wash only.
Here are five things that every parent needs to know. Continue reading
Signs a mum has a “leave pass”
You can always tell when a mum has been granted a leave pass for a night out with friends. When work schedules have miraculously worked out so there are no late meetings or events for either parents, or a babysitter has been found and confirmed, and turned up to the house.
How can you tell?
Look at the handbag. There will be a teeny tiny handbag, or a gorgeous leather bag – free of stains or marks on the outside. No wipes and nappies hanging out, no bulging water bottles or zip lock bags of fruit to be seen. The gorgeous bag is safe to be taken out – no danger of snot being wiped on it, milk drinks being spilt on it, and it doesn’t need to be big enough to double as an overnight bag. Continue reading
Toddler behaviour is universal, regardless of the species
After a typically exasperating evening with the toddler, filled with delightful behaviour like throwing cutlery across the dinner table, narrowly missing his brother, I was fighting the urge to swear under my breath and roll my eyes.
And then I saw something that made me giggle, and realise we’re not the only one who deal with toddlers, and their delightful quirks. Continue reading
Sometimes you just have to say, “f*ck it”
What is it with this time of year? Everyone is exhausted and cranky. We’re trying to tick all those jobs off our lists in time for Christmas and school holidays. Lots of pressure. But we know that when it actually gets to school holidays and Christmas, we’re going to be so over it all, we won’t enjoy the time properly.
We’d all rather prefer to hide in a cupboard somewhere with a jar of nutella and a spoon, or a great big glass of red. Or maybe both…. Continue reading
Easy Christmas traditions with kids, even when you’re exhausted
I love the idea of Christmas traditions. Something you get to look forward to each year and to enjoy as a family.
But I find by the end of the year, everyone is so exhausted, I don’t want to make plans for huge, amazing things as I know we’ll all just be a) too tired b) too busy, or c) don’t care because of a) and b). But there are a few things we have managed to start and continue as a family tradition. Continue reading
You can’t pour from an empty cup
It’s been a while since I sat down at my laptop and tapped away. “Therapeutic typing” is how I referred to blogging. Some moments of time snatched away from the everyday stuff that always needs to be done, and refocused on me.
Maybe that’s where I have gone wrong. Not focusing on me. Continue reading
Life, kids and a glass of red 