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How To Help Your Kids Understand Your Mental Health
Hey guys! It’s Mental Health Awareness Week. This means that around the country, conversations are happening about mental illness, mental health, and what to do to get from one to the other. This is obviously great! As a society, we’re learning to talk to each other about the hard stuff. The stigma and silence that previously isolated those of us struggling is starting to shift. Now, say what you want about social media, but I honestly feel that it’s played a major role in helping this movement. Yes, it has contributed to the increase in mental illness as well. Feeling that everyone else is doing better than you can definitely…
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5 Ways To Stop Comparing Yourself To Other Mums
This parenting gig is tough. I mean, super tough. But do you know what makes it even tougher? Feeling like everyone else is doing it better than you. But don’t worry! Here are 5 ways to stop comparing yourself to what other mothers are doing – and start loving what you’re doing. I’m sure you know the feeling, mama. Everyone else’s kids seem to sleep better, eat better, behave better. Your sister’s two year old can fold napkins into paper swans, and the boy in your daughter’s class is almost in the Olympic team. Then there’s your kid, who didn’t eat anything off the floor today – clearly a major…
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Why It’s Possible To Have Too Much Help
“Do you ever feel smothered, like you get too much help?” This was a question one of the dads asked me at a recent talk I did. It was a really interesting question, and quite insightful. We’d been discussing how important it is to ask for help, how there is no shame in admitting that you need support; which is something I always tell others, but manage to often forget myself. But… Can you get too much help?? And to answer the question (again), yes and no. (Super helpful, right?) Ok, I probably need to clarify a bit there. Yes, it is possible to have too much help, but no, I…
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Super Easy Fine Motor Skills Activity For Toddlers
Hey beautiful people! You know how sometimes you just need something quick, easy, and safe to entertain your toddler while you eat/drink your coffee/rush around tidying/have five minutes to hold on to your sanity? Well, I definitely know how that goes! Today, however, I stumbled across a wee gem in the toddler-entertainment field. Like all good projects, this activity only uses three items you’ll likely find lying around your house! Winning! What you’ll need: Cotton balls Tongs (I gave Hunter two different sizes) Muffin tray …and a toddler! 😉 All you do is show your wee cherub how to use the tongs, and pop a couple cotton balls into the…
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How To Meet Other People & Make Awesome New Friends
Hey, you sweet thing! Parenthood can be lonely, especially if your pre-children friends are still, well… pre-children. Whilst some of us are lucky that our social groups quite happily accommodate for our wild offspring, many parents are left spending more time with the parents on Peppa Pig than other real-life adults. This isn’t just the stay-at-homers either; even when working, your social interactions may be limited, so even though you’re surrounded by people you might still be lonely. I don’t think I need to tell you how sucky being lonely is. And how, the longer you’ve gone without meeting people, the more difficult and freaking terrifying the thought of trying…
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5 Questions to Ask Yourself to Figure Out Who You Are
It can be easy as a parent to lose a bit of yourself in parenthood. For a while your whole life, out of necessity, revolves around the beautiful tiny people who inhabit your home; which doesn’t leave much room for, well, anything else really. For many parents who have more than one child, this can mean years of holding this parent role first and foremost, so it’s not surprising that the person you were pre-children becomes a distant memory – almost like you’re thinking of a completely different person. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though! Parenthood is wonderfully fulfilling and enriching, and so it’s completely normal for it to…
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Things My Toddler Has Cried About Recently (and why they’re totally valid points)
No toddlers were harmed in the making of this post. With his ever increasing desire for independence, Hunter has recently developed Sudden Onset Toddler Tantrum Syndrome (SOTTS) where he will suddenly throw himself on the ground in frustration at his current situation. I feel for him, I really do, and so I thought I better explain why his tantrums are actually completely reasonable responses. I wouldn’t put a pair of shoes on him without first taking the pair he was wearing off. This is completely reasonable because as his mother I should be supporting him in his quest for fashion-forwardness rather than being yet another naysayer in the fashion industry.…
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How To Find Your Inner Strength
I was lying awake in bed the other night with a phrase stuck in my head: “It’s no coincidence the words ‘struggle’ and ‘strength’ have the same beginning but completely different endings” – so I thought we should explore that further. It’s easy to look at “strong” people and think “wow, I wish I had it easy like them” or “I wish I had their confidence” or “they’re so brave, I could never be like that”. But actually, strong people have struggles, they have insecurities, they have anxiety. We only see other people’s outer selves. I remember once when I wasn’t in a good headspace someone said to me “I…
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Why I Blog
Hello from the other side! I’m sorry it’s been a while lovelies. I’m not actually why I stopped writing proper posts – I just sort of got caught up in life. I struggled a bit mentally towards the end of last year, so thought I’d take a break over the festive season to spend time with my family and just regroup but then never really picked the ball back up. Writing is like any art or exercise – it’s easier to do if it’s a habit, if it’s done regularly. You need to be in the right head space, and I started getting blank page syndrome – then started doubting…
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Why I Love Washing My Son’s Dirty Clothes
When my Eldest Little Man was younger, he was the “Move First, Think Second” kind of kid – as most little kids are. And some big kids, come to think of it. But anyway… Eldest Little Man was wild, energetic and loud. His imagination knew no boundaries. He always had ripped knees, holey shoes and muddy hands. You get used to it, as a mother. You still roll your eyes and grumble about having to buy new clothes again, but you get used to it. Eldest Little Man was the kid who arrived at his karate class, ran continuous laps around the dojo, took the class (while being reminded often to stay still…
