I've long had a particular admiration for those of my friends who are single parents. I even wrote about single parenting here. Let me be clear: I have a husband, and parenting STILL stretches me to the end of my resources and then some. (In fact, sometimes I say I have five children, because - … [Read more...] about A CHRISTIAN PARENTING BOOK FOR SINGLE PARENTS
The Best Christmas Picture Books for Children (updated for 2021!)
I LOVE Christmas. And I LOVE Advent. (I even wrote a book about Advent). I love all the fun and creative ways we can anticipate the excitement of Christmas during December with our families. One of our favourite traditions is our Advent basket. It's so simple - I just throw all our Christmas … [Read more...] about The Best Christmas Picture Books for Children (updated for 2021!)
HOW CHRISTIAN FICTION ENCOURAGES BUSY PARENTS IN THEIR FAITH (+ REVIEW OF ‘THE MARRIAGE OF INNIS WILKINSON’)
As I write this blog, the tone I adopt is largely of the assumption that FAMILY LIFE IS CRAZY. Busy, loud, messy, dishevelled, chaotic - you choose the word. If this doesn't resonate with you, then can I politely suggest you're on the wrong website? Perhaps try Pinterest for some ideas of … [Read more...] about HOW CHRISTIAN FICTION ENCOURAGES BUSY PARENTS IN THEIR FAITH (+ REVIEW OF ‘THE MARRIAGE OF INNIS WILKINSON’)
HOW SHOULD I TEACH RACIAL EQUALITY TO MY KIDS? (4 BAME FAMILIES SPEAK UP)
It’s been a thought-provoking few months in terms of racial injustice and equality campaigning. Motivated by the tragic death of George Floyd, people the world over have been asking themselves how such overt examples of racism can still be happening – and discovering that systemic racism is, very … [Read more...] about HOW SHOULD I TEACH RACIAL EQUALITY TO MY KIDS? (4 BAME FAMILIES SPEAK UP)
HOW CAN I BE GRACIOUS TOWARDS MY CHILD’S BIRTH FAMILY?
Adoption is pretty complicated. You think the hard part is the application process - which, to be fair, is pretty gruelling, and rightly so. But that's really only the beginning. Once your child comes home, the hard work begins. And it's not just a clean-cut case of starting to bond as a … [Read more...] about HOW CAN I BE GRACIOUS TOWARDS MY CHILD’S BIRTH FAMILY?
12 CHRISTIAN HALLOWEEN PARTY IDEAS (WHICH DON’T CELEBRATE THE SCARY STUFF!)
Every year, Halloween rolls around sooner than I'm expecting. And every year, I feel like I've once again failed to come to any workable conclusion about whether we should or shouldn't participate as Christians, and where our boundaries lie. Last year, I expressed some of this in my post … [Read more...] about 12 CHRISTIAN HALLOWEEN PARTY IDEAS (WHICH DON’T CELEBRATE THE SCARY STUFF!)
DOES POCKET MONEY ‘SPOIL THE CHILD’ – OR TEACH INDEPENDENCE?
I've been wanting to write about pocket money for SO LONG! Not because it's an area I have all the answers to, but because there are so many interesting questions around it (like "Does pocket money spoil the child?" - a big one on Google!), and ideas for how to make it work beautifully. I've … [Read more...] about DOES POCKET MONEY ‘SPOIL THE CHILD’ – OR TEACH INDEPENDENCE?
HOW HISTORICAL FICTION CAN HELP US TEACH OUR CHILDREN ABOUT RACIAL EQUALITY
The tragic death of George Floyd, and the riots, injuries and deaths which have taken place since then, woke many of us up to systemic injustices when it comes to racial equality. And because many of these injustices are a direct result of actions taken many years ago, it's become increasingly … [Read more...] about HOW HISTORICAL FICTION CAN HELP US TEACH OUR CHILDREN ABOUT RACIAL EQUALITY
WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD I ASK A SECONDARY SCHOOL?
I've been a mum for nearly 11 years. It feels like my main career - but, way back in the distant recesses of time, I was a secondary Music teacher. I taught for three years, then did another three as Head of Department in a different school. A brief experience, maybe, but enough to be pretty … [Read more...] about WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD I ASK A SECONDARY SCHOOL?