Tag Archives: Parenting

The perfect parent doesn’t exist (so stop trying to be one)

22 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by in Motherhood

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You know when you log onto Facebook, or chat to your parent friends, or write an email / blog post / card to a friend updating them on your life…. are you honest?

No, I mean REALLY honest.

Do you tell them about the time the other day when you lost your temper in a fit of exhaustion and shouted at your child, then instantly regretted it? Do you tell them that you gave your kids fishfingers and chips for tea the other day, because you were all out of organic veg? Do you admit that sometimes you let them watch too much TV, because you’re sick of the sight of playdough? Continue reading »

The benefits of working in the middle of the night

19 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by in Family, Motherhood, Play

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Whenever work comes up as a topic of conversation, I’m used to being met with pitying stares when people hear what time I have to get up in the morning.

And it’s true, it is horrendously early – the middle of the night some might argue. But it means I get to spend the majority of the afternoon with my toddler.

On days where I need to jack up on biscuits to escape the brick wall of exhaustion hurtling towards me at full speed, an afternoon solo with a two year old is sometimes tricky. But not on days like today. Continue reading »

Mumvy

18 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by in Motherhood

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There’s a term I’ve only just been introduced to, which perfectly sums up how I was feeling this afternoon.

It’s a Tuesday feeling, although it comes on at certain other points in my week, depending on where I am and who I’m with.

Mumvy – the name introduced to me by Alison at Not Another Mummy Blog.

It’s a mixture of inadequacy and envy. It’s deeply unattractive and always leaves me cold. But I just can’t shake it. Continue reading »

We’ve got new wheels

18 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by in Family, Motherhood

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Review

When it comes to buggies, I have to admit to being a bit of a snob. It’s ridiculous really, because I’m not particularly materialistic in other areas of life. I don’t drive a snazzy car – and couldn’t care less. I don’t wear designer clothes – and again, couldn’t care less. And I get just as much satisfaction from a nicely upcycled piece of furniture, as a newly purchased piece.

But when it comes to buggies, I have a bit of a weak spot.

It all started when I was pregnant. Completely oblivious to the many different types of buggy / pram / travel system out there, I wandered into Mamas and Papas and was instantly intimidated. I didn’t know my Quinny from my Bugaboo, my Xplory from my Sola. I was a buggy novice who had no idea of the potential status symbol of the buggy. Continue reading »

Not going out

16 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in Motherhood, Relationships

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I was dull this weekend. Incredibly, boringly, hideously sensible. But it was worth it.

The last couple of weeks has seen me struggle through each day with an exhausting cough, racking my body with each bellowing bark. I’ve struggled to sleep, speak and breathe. It’s not been ideal – especially as one stream of income relies on my speech. It’s hard doing radio when you have a cough threatening to erupt all over the microphone every two minutes.

But it was my oldest friend’s birthday this weekend. I wanted to be at her party in Bristol more than anything. I’d been looking forward to a night of irresponsible behaviour, having too much to drink, dancing and catching up with friends I haven’t seen for years. On Friday night I was starting to feel better. I put my cough to one side and half made up my mind to be at the party the following night – no matter how I felt.

And then I woke up on Saturday morning and knew I couldn’t go. Continue reading »

Keeping broodiness in check

12 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by in Family, Motherhood, Pregnancy

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I was writing a blog post for a company the other day about pregnancy. As I scrawled through some suitable bump images to include in the post, the (self-proclaimed) Nothern Love Machine looked over my shoulder and laughed.

“There’s nothing attractive about pregnant women is there?” he chuckled.

My scowl made him quickly back-track, as he was actually looking at a picture of my own bump, taken just over two years ago now. But, equally, I completely disagreed with him. Continue reading »

Parents need quality time too

10 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by in Relationships

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I’ve just spent a weekend without my baby. And it was bliss.

Hear me out.

I love my daughter with every fibre of my being. I haul myself out of bed to work very odd hours every day, all for her. I do it so she will have a room of her own one day in our own house, with holidays and swimming lessons and all the other lovely things small people like.

But sometimes I need some time with her dad – my husband – without the label of “mum”. Sometimes I just need to be me, with him, on our own. Continue reading »

Give it to me straight

06 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by in Walking

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I like honesty. It’s one of the traits I most admire in a person.

Honesty and the ability to give it to someone straight. Talking around a subject, fluffing it up with watery phrases like, “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about,” or “Everything’s fine… really”, do not help. Not when everything might not be fine.

As a parent, if there’s even the tiniest thing wrong with your child you want to know about it straight away. You want to know the exact cause of whatever the problem is – whether it’s a rash or a limp, a temperature or a delay in walking. Continue reading »

Blossom

04 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by in Motherhood, Speech

≈ 13 Comments

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Do you ever get those moments when you look at your child and think, “I’m only just getting to know you”?

I have them. Every. Single. Day.

Especially at the moment. I look back at those snuggly, sleep-deprived newborn days and remember how I used to hold my milky baby close to me, drinking in the smell of her head as she snored on my chest. During those weeks I thought I could never love anyone or anything as much as I loved that tiny creature.

But I was wrong. Continue reading »