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Remember the last time someone approached your teenage child and expressed concern over their developmental progress? “14?! And you're still out and about with your mum?!” “15 and you're still only 5'3”. Is your mummy not feeding you at all?” Yeah, me neither. So, why do veritable strangers deem it appropriate to pass comment on the progress of your younger children...

Let me preface this blog post by saying that my mother-in-law is a much-loved and hugely respected member of our family. Not only did she accept me like one of her own when I first starting dating her son, after getting engaged she was the first person after my own mum who I wanted to tell. And while I respect her in innumerable ways and felt genuine delight when I learned she'd be moving a...

OK, so maybe the title is a little OTT, but while in the grips of PMS, I'd be lying if I said the thought hasn't flash through my head more than once in the course of married life. While undeniably thoughtful and considerate, the man I married is also incredibly slap-dash when it comes to a number of things in the life we share with our four children. And while I try to keep my patience...

I'll be the first to admit that there are many, many things in this life which cause me untold stress; health worries, mortgage repayments and my inability to tell left from right when navigating for my husband, but these pale in comparison to some other things which make my blood boil. Every day I am confronted with numerous things which rub me up the wrong way, and even though I know my...

I recently went for what is now known amongst my family members as Mum's Monthly MOT. This activity involves getting my nails done, having my eyebrows tended to and treating myself to a quick trim. It may seem extravagant, but as I vowed not to spend a single dime on clothes until I slimmed back down to my pre-baby weight (It's been sixteen years, so I'm thinking any day now) I feel...

I've long since subscribed to the school of thought that we're all in this together. Us mums, I mean. Those days when everything is running like clockwork and you can see yourself on the cover of Good Housekeeping can quickly give way to a day when your mug shot will fill the cover of the National Enquirer and you'll be forced to explain why you, your children and the family dog went...

Or should I say 'Boobie nights?' Those nights that never seem to end and you wake up in the morning feeling hungover only to realise you've had none of the fun of a night out, you are in fact just so sleep deprived you literally feel hungover! These are what I like to think of as 'Boobie nights' or boogie nights parent style. Yes, as parents we still get to pull all nighters, just not as we knew...

Becoming a mum is one of those amazing, life-changing moments that you never in a million years would want to give back. But motherhood requires a lot of hard work, much of which has to be done with little or no sleep. And it’s the lack of sleep that I am totally blaming for half of what I've lost, although it's not to blame for EVERYTHING! 1. My ability to reply to a text message...

I went clothes shopping at the weekend because despite it being the last weekend before pay day, I inexplicably had a few notes left in my account. (No doubt I've forgotten to pay the electricity bill and we'll soon be fumbling around the house in the dark like four mole people.) Clothes shopping used be a leisurely pursuit, but since having children I approach most highstreet stores with...

When you've been married as long as I have, it would be unrealistic to expect your sex life to boast the same passion it did during the honeymoon period. Sometimes, and God knows it kills me to say this, but it can feel like mine and my husband's tumble beneath the sheets is more to do with scratching an itch and less to do with actually enjoying one another. While I know this aspect of...