Mum guilt. It’s a thing. Well actually, it’s not just mums is it? There’s dad guilt, parent guilt and probably grandparent guilt to look forward to as well. And if you’re anything like me, it’s all-consuming. Breathing down your neck at every turn. You’re working? You should be with the children. You’re with the children?…
Within the daily struggle of parenthood, being me has become my biggest battle. Last week, I was looking at my children playing at my feet when I had a sudden moment of realisation. I spend an inordinate amount of time with my head down. Watching the girls, looking at my laptop or phone, preparing food….
I glanced out of the window and saw them sauntering by. The familiar faces chatting and laughing. The same people as usual trailing behind the group. I couldn’t hear their words, their voices lost in the impenetrable wall of sound that is a baby’s cry. Only one of their party was missing. Left out not through malice,…
Am I taking the wrong approach to disagreement? Let’s face it, even the word itself has negative connotations. Awkward, argumentative, feisty, disagreeable, obtuse. We discourage our children from disagreeing. Don’t answer back, do as you’re told. Don’t argue with me. And yet, I want my children to disagree. In fact, I believe it is one of…
There’s an old saying about babies not coming with a manual. If only that were true. It seems every time I look at social media, I read another article about how I should parent my child. I’m damaging them by shouting at them, harming them by not providing enough discipline, making them needy by picking them…
To my beautiful girls, You are the last thing I think about at night when I try to get some sleep. I think about all the times that day when I’ve raised my voice to you. All the times I’ve had to work when you wanted me to play. I think about how quickly you’re…