I’m sure that we would all agree that 2020 has not turned out the way we expected. It has been challenging for many, with disruption and change seeming to come from every side at times. We have all in some way experienced social isolation and lockdown this year, and for me the time at home brought with it some interesting reflection and changes. We are choosing the slow lane. Continue reading “Choosing the slow lane”
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Riding the COVID-19 storm as a family
It’s been an interesting time for us all, hasn’t it? How are you and your family handling this COVID-19 storm? Do you, like me, have good days, and then bad ones as well? Are you really enjoying having the kids around, but then sometimes go and hide away from them in the cupboard or the bathroom? Do you feel positive about how things are going around the world, then crash into anxiety and fear? You’re not alone. Continue reading “Riding the COVID-19 storm as a family”
From a MOPS kids carer
Up until the last few months, before COVID-19 forced lots of things to close for a time, I had been enjoying the times in my week when I got to interact with babies and young children. Whether that was at church, my local playgroup or in the MOPS Kids area on a MOPS morning. I’ve been missing my baby cuddles and the time spent playing and chatting with kids. Continue reading “From a MOPS kids carer”
Can “bad days” be good?
Bad days are the worst. I had many of them prior to having kids but, since their arrival, they occur much more frequently than I’d like. PMS, horrible sleep, tantrums, clinginess, mum-brain, forgetfulness and teething, combined with a dozen other things have, at times, taken the sunshine out of my day. Continue reading “Can “bad days” be good?”
Rainy day holiday fun
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!! Woo! The thought of having your kids home full-time for a few weeks may excite you! Or it may have you screaming internally. Regardless of how you feel, or where you are in our country, it is good to have a game plan for tackling these winter school holidays. I hope these ideas help create some rainy day holiday fun for you all! Continue reading “Rainy day holiday fun”
Mothering right when your kids do wrong
Think on this: Do your children see the world, and people living in it, through the eyes of Mother Teresa? Or do your children proclaim the beauty of creation and all that lives and breathes as if in one of the magical documentaries of David Attenborough? Well, as a mum your heart would skip more than a few beats faster if that were true… and then you’d wake up from a delightful daydream.…In fact, that kind of blog would be titled ‘Mothering right when your kids do absolutely everything right all the time with sprinkles on top!’
Take the Weltschmerz and grow
What is Weltschmerz and what does it have to do with you? Maybe you can relate to this. Continue reading “Take the Weltschmerz and grow”
Food for the fussy eater
Feeding our children can sometimes be a tricky and frustrating task. We want them to eat enough, but not too much. We worry about whether they are eating enough vegetables or is that too much cheese? And then there is also the minefield of allergies and intolerances to cater for – gluten free, dairy free, vegan, soy free, preservative free…. the list goes on. On top of all of this, we then prepare a healthy and balanced dinner that gets rejected by a fussy eater and thrown on the floor amidst tears and tantrums (sometimes theirs, sometimes ours). Continue reading “Food for the fussy eater”
The little one that follows me
Motherhood. I was in no way prepared for it. Not for the amount of love I would feel. Or how being responsible for meeting all the required needs of another human being would, at times, bring out the worst parts of me. I am conscious of the picture I present to the little one that follows me. Continue reading “The little one that follows me”
How to help your kids enjoy independent, outdoor play
If you’re ever trying to find my house and you can’t remember the street number, just listen out for the sounds of shrieking and roaring children coming from my backyard. (Are they happy? Are they hurt? Who can say!) Most of the time my kids love to engage in independent, outdoor play on their own. Sometimes they need a little coaxing. Continue reading “How to help your kids enjoy independent, outdoor play”