Blog List

When I was a child I was utterly oblivious to the pressures felt by my parents. Like any child, I had no idea whether they felt compelled to keep up with the Joneses or felt pressurised into making decisions or purchases based on appearances. If they did, they kept it from me. Had they attempted to communicate it, I would have listened politely, nodded at the appropriate time and asked whether...

Remember in the weeks and months after you gave birth, all you wanted to do was make mad passionate love 24/7? Anytime, anywhere, you were up for it. Remember that? Yeah, me neither. So when new mum Kelly Clarkson hit the headlines in recent days for saying that she never wanted to be one of those women who had to schedule sex with her other half, I thought: “Well, good for you, but some of us...

My seven-year-old son seems determined that I come to terms with my own mortality and it looks like he’ll stop at nothing until I feel like I’m staring death in the face at least once a day. It’s disconcerting to say the least. I know, I know- what kind of horror am I raising? It’s not how it seems, however, but that doesn’t really make it any easier to shrug off sometimes. It all...

There is nothing quite like a beautiful, sunny day to make us all feel happy and relaxed. And as we enjoy our third ice-cream while basking in the yellow glow, our bodies are getting some much-needed vitamin D. Now I’m not the type of person you’ll find sunning themselves on the beach or in the garden - my pale, freckled skin just doesn’t bode well with it - I do love when summer comes...

I have heard numerous reports from stay-at-home mums that they’re treated like pariahs in the playground. They're apparently made to feel like they’re incapable of holding an intelligent conversation or contributing in any real way to a ‘worthy’ discussion because the chose to stay at home and raise their children. I can sympathise wholeheartedly with this plight despite being a...

I have an exceedingly colourful turn of phrase. And by ‘exceedingly colourful’, I mean I can swear with the best of them. Unfortunately, that’s when I’m actually in a good mood. I can positively turn the air blue when I’m even remotely inconvenienced. Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely not something I’m proud of. In fact, it’s something I constantly try to rein in when I’m in...

My 13-year-old daughter takes after her father in some truly wonderful ways. It’s fair to say, they’re both generous to a fault, incredibly funny and hugely entertaining. But they’re also both masters in the ‘I’ll do this badly so I won’t be asked to do it again’ game. While I’m used to my husband’s antics in this regard, my daughter‘s foray into the dark side has left me a...

When it comes to pregnancy, we have medical professionals saying one thing, friends saying another and family members dividing you right down the centre in terms of what you can and can’t do. And while it is important we listen to what our doctors and GPs advise, a bit of mothering common sense certainly goes a long way. Last weekend, while out for lunch with the girls, one of my friends happily...

The important thing to remember when you divulge information to your teenage daughter in a bid to help and advise her is that it doesn’t always remain between yourselves. Chances are when your beloved daughter is feeling a lot better, she may use your embarrassing disclosures against you. Because teenagers are mean. And that’s just what they do. More than a few mortifying facts I revealed...

A mother from Alabama hit the headlines this week after she named and shamed her daughters on Facebook for deplorable public conduct and I’ve to be honest here, her story didn’t have the desired effect on me. Imploring the woman offended by her daughter’s actions to come forward so that she could attempt to remedy the situation, Kyesha Smith Wood certainly showed us how to parent, and how to...