Monthly Archives: January 2014

How to ruin education in the UK

30 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Family, Work

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I write this post not as an education expert, teacher or politician. I have no professional experience in schools and haven’t studied the education systems of other countries around the world. But I am a parent, and that has to count for something, right?

In just over seven months my daughter will begin her school career. I already have qualms about my only-just-four year old starting full time education at such a tender age, but that’s for another post. I also have fears about the increasing use of data and statistics to measure children’s attainment, with much emphasis being placed on league tables and numbers that don’t show the whole picture. But I digress. What I’m really worried about, beyond any of that stuff, is the fact my daughter may end up in an education system on the cusp of being perfectly ruined.  Continue reading »

Eau de Cologne for kids as young as five? No thank you

30 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Baby and toddler products, Motherhood

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kids eau de cologne

When my daughter was a newborn, I loved nothing more than to sniff her milky head and drink in that precious smell that only new babies have. When you get past the vomit and the poo, babies smell rather nice. Three years on and I still think my little girl smells rather nice – even after a day at a muddy park.

That’s why I greeted a press release that landed in my inbox this morning with a “Huh?”. It was telling me all about an “essential product” called Alvarez Gomez Eau de Cologne for children. Essential? Really?

The press release goes on to explain that this type of product is already popular in warmer countries, as it “leaves a refreshing gentle aroma” on a child’s skin. Apparently it smells of lemon blossom, Spanish lavender and mint which “suit a young child perfectly”.  Continue reading »

Moments that mattered

29 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by in Family, Motherhood, Travel

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With my three year old starting school later this year, I’m more aware than ever of time slipping through my fingers.

It may be that I have spent the last two years working and rushing around non-stop, so it’s only now that we’re more settled I can fully appreciate the need to savour all the little moments. This time last year I spent so many of my days exhausted and powering on until bedtime that I’m not convinced I made the most of every second.

It’s a bit of a paradox, this time thing though. When you become a parent you’re constantly told, “Make the most of it, they grow up so fast”. And you can see it yourself, when you blink and your newborn is suddenly a chubby toddler. But at the same time as wanting to savour those moments and feeling them slip away all too quickly, you’re trying to stop ketchup being smeared up the wall and fighting an exhaustion that will only be quelled by sleep. Your days both zoom past in the blink of an eye and drip along in a slow trickle, like a smear of thick treacle.  Continue reading »

Switching off

27 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by in Motherhood

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Bedroom

When I was little, I always used to read before going to sleep. Right from the age of five or six, I’d have a book on the go beside my bed. That habit lasted throughout school and, later, university. In fact, it didn’t stop until around two years ago.

In 2012 I started a new job that involved working crazy hours. I would get up at 3.30 in the morning, commute to work, do a radio show and then have meetings before driving home to spend the afternoon with my toddler. In the evenings I would do my other work – my writing work. I would fall into bed at 11 o’clock, exhausted. I was too tired to read but too wired to sleep, so I’d take my phone to bed and scroll through Facebook and Twitter, or watch stupid stuff on YouTube.

Unsurprisingly, I felt like crap.  Continue reading »

A solution to the witching hour cooking problem

23 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Family, Health, Recipes

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What’s your worst time of day as a parent? For me, it’s that dreaded period between 4pm and 5.30pm. The so-called “witching hour”.

In our house, witching hour goes something like this: I get the ingredients out to start cooking tea. Frog wants milk. I get her milk, to keep her out of the way while I cook tea. I chop up a carrot. Frog wants chocolate. I say no. Frog has a tantrum. I attempt to finish up chopping said carrot while heating oil in the pan. My phone rings. I need to send an urgent work email. Frog is still having a tantrum. The carrot is still waiting to be chopped. Continue reading »

Why do we put new mums on a probationary period?

21 Tuesday Jan 2014

Posted by in Motherhood

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New mum

It struck me the other day that, as my three and a half year old will be starting school later this year, I will probably be past the “mum probationary period”.

If you’re scratching your head, wondering what I’m on about, cast your mind back to those early newborn days and try to remember some of the things you were asked by well-meaning visitors.

“How is motherhood treating you?” might have been one question. “Are you settling into motherhood well?” might have been another. And then there are all the comments you probably had to field about sleep and feeding – both the baby’s and your own.  Continue reading »

How to teach your kids about renewable energy

21 Tuesday Jan 2014

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windmills

(Photo Credit: germanborrillo via Compfight cc)

Today I’m welcoming Ovo Energy to the blog, for some brilliant tips on teaching children about renewable energy.

Over to Ovo….

Your children are growing up in a very different world to the one in which you were a child. They use computers as often as you used a pen or a pencil, their toys or entertainment are more likely to require a power source than yours did and they see solar panels and wind turbines on a regular basis. When they are adults, the world will have changed even more and they will be the ones who have to continue shaping it; this is why it’s important to help them to develop a sense of the importance of having a responsible attitude towards energy use. Continue reading »

The importance of ordinary

19 Sunday Jan 2014

Posted by in Family, Motherhood, Play

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Rainy park

This is a picture of a rainy park. It was a dull day, constant drizzle giving way to heavier downpours. No sun. The park was deserted, but it’s a picture I love and a day I want to remember, because in its own way it was pretty special.

Spending time with Frog, on my own, is something I feel incredibly lucky to be able to do. I never take it for granted because, this time last year, I was working anything up to 80 hours some weeks, and time with my daughter was often spent bleary-eyed and exhausted. Although I knew I needed to treasure the mundane moments, it wasn’t always easy to do. Stress and exhaustion can be tricky like that.  Continue reading »

5 reasons why we loved Frozen

18 Saturday Jan 2014

Posted by in TV and film

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Frozen

We went on our first ever family outing to the cinema today. At three and a half years old, it was Frog’s first experience of the big screen. It was exciting, just the three of us, far too much popcorn and sweets and a charmingly old fashioned cinema in a Devon town. We saw Frozen, the latest Disney offering. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it and if you’re looking for something to do on a rainy afternoon, then I urge you to check it out too.

Here are five reasons why we loved Frozen: Continue reading »

Are we being ruled by our phones?

17 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by in Motherhood, Well being, Work

≈ 12 Comments

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Phubbing

When my daughter was a baby I didn’t have a fancy phone. Just three years ago, I survived with a brick that had limited internet access. Back then, my time was devoured by a beautiful baby who cried for milk on-demand and constant entertainment. My phone just lived on the kitchen counter, occasionally ringing when someone wanted to talk to me. Some days I didn’t even answer it.

But then, in 2012, I got a new iPhone. It was a revelation. Finally, I could check my emails on the go! Log into Facebook whenever I pleased! I even joined Instagram, eagerly taking snaps of cups of tea and putting trendy filters on them before sharing them with the world. I started to see my phone as a lifeline to the outside world, wondering how I had never lived without it before.

Fast-forward two years and I’m starting to loathe my phone. It’s like having a newborn baby in the colic phase, forever. The baby needs supervision, reassurance, attention. Lots and lots of attention. I even find myself taking my baby phone to the toilet, lest it gets lonely without me.  Continue reading »