Blog List

My son has been experiencing night terrors for approximately three months and I’ll be honest, I think I’m more horrified by the episodes than anyone else. It’s like living with a ticking time bomb who has the potential to wake up and scream bloody murder at any stage between 8pm and 7.30 in the morning. My heart flutters like a bird trapped in a cage and beads of sweat break out at the nape...

Dare we open up a can of worms by talking about the sensitive topic of a mother’s age? Sure, why not! Nowadays, women are starting their families later and later in life, with mid- to late-thirties being the optimum age for so many. Career, financial security, not ready to settle or haven’t met the right person - they are all very valid reasons not to pop a sprog out right now. But while it is...

My six-year-old daughter Grace has recently joined a drama class. Many of the exercises encouraged by her teacher involve imitating classmates and mimicking the actions of various people in an effort to show children how simple it is to slip into someone else’s shoes. Unfortunately for me, this particular exercise has leaked into our family life and Grace has taken to imitating my words and...

Anyone who saw the video clip of 3-year-old Kathryn’s reaction to the news she was about to come a big sister will have undoubtedly chuckled and cooed over the innocence of children. For anyone who hasn’t seen this snapshot into family life, let me quickly fill you in. Upon hearing she was about to gain a younger brother or sister, the adorable little girl looked relatively nonplussed, stared...

I gave up my job when I became pregnant fifteen years ago and since then I have devoted all my time and effort into looking after my four children, running my home and agonising over whether I made the right decision at the dawn of the new millennium. Up until then, I knew the stresses of the workplace as well as anyone else, and yet the fact I apparently ‘bowed out’ of the rat race to become...

Being the mum of a girl is hard work. Seriously, I feel like I was lured into a false sense of security when I found out I was having a daughter and someone told me: "ah, girls are easy." I’m pretty sure whoever said it only had boys. Motherhood is a rollercoaster of emotions and there seem to be so many rights and wrongs that it gets confusing - even more so with daughters when you're their...

I’ve put my son under surveillance in recent weeks. Don’t get me wrong, he hasn’t been up to anything. (Not that I know of anyway. Damn it, now I’m worried.) No, it’s more of a social experiment, I suppose. I’m trying to understand him, you see. I’m attempting to get to grips with what makes him tick, what sets him off and why I’m always the last to know what’s going to make him...

A video which recently hit the headlines shows a 4-year-old girl carefully explaining the merits of each and every cosmetic nestled within her mother's makeup bag. Instead of smearing red lipstick across her mouth like I did as a child, little Mia concerned herself with perfecting her eyebrows and appeared all too eager to attain 'skinny face'. I'll be honest, I didn't know I...

Dear Mum, I’ve written you numerous cards over the years, I’ve left scrawled notes around the house and I’ve sent countless texts, but have I ever actually sat down, put pen to paper and written you a proper letter? Have I ever taken the time to truly thank you? Yes, I’ve called a hurried ‘ta’ over my shoulder as I let the house as a teen and mumbled a ‘thank you’ into your ear as...

We all know Mother’s Day is just around the corner and if you're anything like me, you've been leaving enough hints around the house about gifts that nobody would dare forget! However, who these hints are directed at is very different for every mum. Older kids can pick you up something, while smaller ones obviously can’t, so in many cases, the hints are directed at our significant...