Blog List

The media has recently been awash with reports of parents accidentally leaving their children trapped in cars and I’ll be honest, I can barely read them without experiencing an almost physical reaction. When I hear members of the public slamming those ‘idiotic’ and ‘irresponsible’ parents, I swallow against my nausea and silently agree, all the while knowing I am the very parent they are...

I didn’t breastfeed either of my children. It wasn’t because I couldn’t, it’s because I wouldn’t. There, I said it. I chose not to breastfeed because I wasn’t comfortable with the notion. I can’t exactly explain why, but I just knew that the prospect of nursing my children would have a detrimental effect on my emotional wellbeing and I didn’t want anything to taint mine or my...

I recently made the mistake of inviting my son’s friend on a family weekend away and learned in the process that I’m not quite as good with children as I thought. There’s nothing quite like spending a considerable amount of time with someone else’s child to make you thankful for your own gang, is there? Like any mum, I see my children’s flaws - and believe me, there are plenty to choose...

My friend and I once made a pact that we’d never let disputes between our children come between us and our friendship. If her child insisted mine was hogging the TV remote, we’d simply let them battle it out between themselves before intervening only as the voice of reason, not bias. If my child insisted hers was cheating during a particularly heated game of Hide and Seek, we’d allow them to...

After I had my daughter almost seven years ago, I made the decision not to have any more children. The news was met with despair by friends and family who thought it was selfish of me and my partner to deprive Ella of a sibling and playmate, but I was steadfast in my decision. And for the most part, I don’t regret it, but every now and then I wonder if there was any truth in my family’s...

When I was pregnant a friend gave me some sage advice regarding baby wipes. Firstly, never pay full price for a packet unless it's an emergency as they're always on offer and secondly, be careful of buying highly perfumed brands because you'll start to associate that scent with the scent of baby poo. At the time I didn't see the problem here, surely that's all I'd be using...

My friend asked me to join her for a yoga session recently. A dedicated yogi, she’s always on the hunt for new recruits. Politely declining, I told her I never found yoga particularly relaxing nor did I find it any way invigorating. When I exercise I like to break a sweat and when I relax I like to do it in the knowledge I can break wind with wild abandon and not find myself clenching my stomach...

It's that time of year again, when many families are shutting down their computers, locking up their houses and heading off on holiday for a couple of weeks. And while destination, length of time away and how you get there are all very different when you become a mum, that's not all that changes! If you are anything like me, you may start to notice that how you pack now is significantly...

My little boy recently turned five, and for his birthday he asked if he could have a toy kitchen. Seeing as he loves to help me bake and cook, I agreed that it would be a lovely present to celebrate his big day. Already hugely impressed by our son’s culinary prowess, his dad also agreed that while expensive, it was certainly a worthwhile gift. Although I thoroughly enjoy having him help me out...

Remember the last time you had a child on your hip or a surly teen to contend with and you just couldn’t fight the yawn building inside you? Remember how you opened your mouth, vaguely resembled a growling hippopotamus and released a noise not dissimilar to an animal’s mating call, such was the extent of your exhaustion? Yeah, me too. And remember the way you then considered the action...