Category: motherhood
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To the SEND mums hanging in there
This won’t be a long post, just a few words to all the SEND mums (and dads too), as well as parents of neurodivergeant children… I know that some days, the weight of it all feels unbearable.
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Navigating parenthood in a changing world: How to prepare your child for primary school and beyond
As a modern day mum, I’m no stranger to the ever-changing world we live in. From technological advancements to shifting societal norms, parenting today comes with its unique set of challenges.
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Things we’re doing to give our children a bit more autonomy
For context, my husband and I have 3 children. Our two sons, 12 and 15 years old, and our daughter who is 5 years old. In this post I’ll explain some of the things we’ve decided to do to allow them to become a bit more autonomous, as we slowly detach ourselves from the tight…
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AD – Turning bath time into a playful adventure with Matey!
I remember that day like it was yesterday. My daughter Maelys looked at me with big bright eyes and a huge smile. She held the beautiful black doll I had just bought for her, touched her curls and beamed. It was such a precious moment, and one that repeated itself over and over again, as…
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Five things I’m learning from my children
One humbling aspect of parenting is realising you can learn just as much from your kids as they can learn from you. Whether it’s small reminders or entire life lessons, children really have a way of teaching you important things, and usually at very timely moments in your life.
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How much do you judge other parents?
“My son is not yet potty trained.” She said. “Oh. Okay!” I replied, surprised. She then sighed and went on a rant about how difficult it is with boys. “They’re a bit slow compared to girls, when it comes to these things.” She said. I smiled and didn’t say anything. That had not been my…
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AD | Coping with the demands of home learning – in partnership with Joy Learning
A few days after the very first lockdown was announced at the beginning of this pandemic, I looked at my husband and said “Academically speaking, this year is pretty much void, right?” He just sighed. We both had a feeling that we’d just have to erase this year from our children’s academic journey and start…
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Encouraging honest parent-child dialogue: 5 questions to ask your children
I value the beauty of communication and dialogue with my children. The questions I’m about to suggest came to me completely randomly as I sat down with my sons for our daily ‘chit-chat’ – a mother-and-son moment we have every single evening, where we talk about their day and anything else that’s been on their…
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AD│ A caring gift for little hands – Childs Farm Hand care tin
If there’s one thing this year has taught me, it’s that we can never be “too hygienic”. Growing up, good hand hygiene was something my mother used to insist on all the time, and I’m glad she raised us that way. Today I find myself using a similar approach when it comes to my own…
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5 Ways to stay calm in stressful situations at home
This is one of those posts where I must begin with a disclaimer. I’m no psychologist or relationship expert, but for quite some time now I’ve been on a journey to be a lot more zen, calm and composed than ever. And these are the things that are working for me right now.
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Motherhood behind closed doors – Fear, isolation, entrapment and guilt
“There’s no “opt out” button. We’re responsible for three small human beings til they reach the age where they can start making life decisions for themselves, pay their own bills, have kids of their own… And even beyond that, I’ll still feel a sense of responsibility towards them. We can’t just switch this parenting thing…
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10 Tips to keep your kids off their video games this summer
I’ve seen a lot of posts on how to keep the kids entertained this summer but most are aimed at pre-schoolers. We have pre-teens who are totally addicted to their video games and who constantly need to be encouraged to do other things around the house or in the garden. They love watching gamers on…
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On raising a generation of babies born with cameras in their faces
How do you feel when you see photos of babies and young children on social media? Does it make you smile, or do you feel slightly uncomfortable? Being a mother of three children with a huge passion for the digital world and social media, these are questions I’ve asked myself on numerous occasions. And when…
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Cutting the cord again: My struggle with pre-adolescent detachment
I’ve heard of adolescent emotional detachment but after thinking about it for some time, I think the phase I’m currently going through with my sons is “pre-adolescent detachment”. I suppose it’s the milder, slightly less challenging version of it.
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Why so many of us fall out with our mothers during pregnancy
I was having a conversation with a friend recently about how volatile our emotions get during pregnancy, and how damaging this can be to our relationships with the people we love the most: our significant others, typically – but also our mothers. And today I’ll focus on our mothers. My friend, who also recently gave…
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Unplanned and unassisted ~ You won’t believe my home birth story
It’s 6.30am on December 11th and I’m now 40 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I wake up with what feels like contractions that are stronger than the pre-labour pains and Braxton Hicks contractions I’ve been feeling over the past few weeks. By that time, as you can imagine, my patience was starting to run out.…
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Our baby’s nursery
This week I gave birth to a little girl, and today I’d like to share with you photos of her nursery, which I started working when I was about 20 weeks pregnant. We had a spare room in the house that was always intended to be for a new addition to the family, so working…
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My public secret affair
Pregnancy is probably the most visible physical experience a woman can go through in her lifetime, yet at the same time the most personal. For some, so personal that the goal is to keep it under wraps for as long as possible. From conception to birth, the details, the ups, the downs, the aches and…
À LA WAIKI 