What is the role of the stay at home parent? Is it to nurture and care for our children or is the unspoken expectation that your role is to do it all?
In this post I discuss the difference between what we expect from a paid childcare provider and what we expect from stay at home mums (or fathers) and whether society needs to rethink how it values the role of parents at home.
Don’t tell me you’re tired
Don’t tell me you’re tired, if you have no kids or work a nice 9-5 job and aren’t unwell, even if you really are bloody tired. Because this mama hasn’t slept through the night for 7 years and I’m gonna rant.
School Holidays
School holidays where family fun meets fights, tantrums, mess and a gazillion snack requests.
Becoming a ‘school mum’
So I’m now a ‘school mum’. How did I get here so fast?
Having avoided all the cliques at the playgroups here I am now with the actual real pressure to mingle and speak to parents in the wild.
In this post I talk about the awkwardness at the school gates, my ongoing imposter syndrome and my impressions of the other parents.
Primary School Offer Day: My last bubba
Primary school offer day is an emotional rollercoaster. The sleepless night before, the refreshing your emails and the anxiety about getting the school you want. But it’s so much more than just the school. It’s the sad crushing reality that your baby is growing up and entering the world.
I remember this with my first born but now it’s my youngest, my last baby, it feels different.
Parenthood and Friendships: what happens to your mates when you have kids?
When you become a parent it has an impact on your friendships. Some friends are supportive and others struggle to integrate your changing needs and lifestyle into their world. In this post I discuss parenthood and friendship, the gains and the losses and how to try to be both a good friend on both sides.
A day in the life of lockdown 2021 Mum
Oh lockdown 1 what a difference a year makes.
You were so novel and new and with you came the joy and wonder of renewed time together as a family. There was no pressure to work, it was a never ending day of opportunity, filled with baking and Joe Wicks.
Now it’s all online lessons, demands for snacks and mum guilt.
We are struggling and it’s time the balance needs to shift.
Everyone is an amazing parent when they don’t have kids
I was the best parent before I had kids. I had such high expectations and unrealistic views about the reality of parenting. I passed judgements on others and thought I knew it all. Once you have children of your own you soon realise the harsh reality of life with littles.
In this post I discuss the fantasy vs the reality of parenting, the views of the ‘experts’ without kids and how I was a much better parent in my head before actually becoming one.
Boys with long hair
Why is it still such a big deal for boys to have long hair? Any parent with a son with long hair will have experienced the constant mistaking of their child’s gender, comments from others or pressure to cut their hair. And when your child goes off to school they face rejection by peers purely because their hair is different and “for girls.”
We must move towards a space where both boys and girls are not held into nonsensical constraints and norms.
Returning to life after lockdown: Mourning the loss of the family bubble
With lockdown easing with social distancing and mask wearing, what is the effect of the new normal on families? For many the end of lockdown means the end of a precious period of time with their family and a great sadness at the idea of returning to life where you live like passing ships. In this post I discuss the effect of lockdown easing measures on the family unit and family emotional health