It’s every parent’s nightmare isn’t it – a tearaway kid – but if I’m honest, I can’t control my child. I often find myself worrying what others think about my lack of parental control. I’m sure it’s a fear of mums everywhere, but sometimes I worry that, as a single mum, the judging will flow more…
Parenting
A Letter To My Mum On Mother’s Day
Dear mum, We’re a funny old pair, me and you. I bring the funny, you bring the old – obviously. We’re no good at affection – not to each other anyway. There have been so many times when I’ve waved you off with little one and said, “do you want to tell nanny you love…
The Why Phase With My Toddler
We’ve been in grips of the why phase for some time now. “Why didn’t we run for the bus?” “Why have you got lines on your face?” “Why don’t some people have beds?” “Why did I wear a skirt?” “Why is daddy ill?” “Why do you want to go to bed?” These are just some…
Motherhood: The Art Of Mothering
Mother – it’s a word we hear and use nearly every single day. So what is mothering? Is there a way we all mother? Is there an art it? What shared experiences bring us together on our motherhood journey? Some of us go down the breastfeeding route, others bottle feed, some of us cry it…
The Good Times
I have written a lot about the challenges of motherhood – single motherhood especially. As I put up posts like missing in action and this shit just got real, I worry that should I, or my son, (or really anyone) look back on this blog in years to come and think that this is the whole…
Why Having No Routine Is Great For My Son
I’m pretty sure talking about toddler routines in the negative is sacrilege amongst the parenting population. So I’m readying myself for the backlash at this brazen statement, but I mean it when I say not having a routine for my son has been good for him and for me. Contrary to popular opinion, babies and toddlers*…
My Drug
Though you leave, there is no reprieve, From the ties that bind us. The craving waiting to wash over me. The relief your presence brings, But brief respite from a hunger I cannot suppress. The part of my story, That brings me sweet, sweet glory Even on the hazy days. Awaiting your return, I cannot…
My Message To The Mum of That Toddler
I was flicking through my notebook today and came across a half written post I’d done awhile back about parenting the shitty kid. Before I go any further with this story I should just point out that my son is NOT, never was (and hopefully never will be), a shitty kid (let’s be honest NO kid is actually a shitty kid).…
Shooting On Our Estate: A Street Of Two Tales
The other week I returned home to the news that there had been a shooting on our estate. No deaths thankfully, but the kids (and they were kids) in the neighbouring flats were involved. Suddenly the reality of London newspaper headlines were strewn across my street. Only this was a lot more real than any newspaper story…
Why holidays with the family makes me so ungrateful
My son is probably the best travelled toddler I’ve ever met – in his two and a half years he’s got more air miles than should be legal and is already in double digits of countries visited! I’ve done most of these travels as a single mum so you’d think, by now, I’d be used to the whole…