Now I'm no agony aunt, but every now and again I get a question from a reader which I think is really pertinent, so I've decided to expand these into blog posts every so often. Don't expect a solution, but I hope that my thoughts about these topics will set you off on your own thinking and … [Read more...] about IS IT POSSIBLE TO BALANCE FINANCES, MENTAL HEALTH AND RAISING A FAMILY?
Marriage
Investing in parenting means investing in our marriage or relationship. I hope the following resources offer some hope and encouragement to you as you seek to strengthen this important bond in your family set-up.
HOW NOT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR IN-LAWS
A couple of weeks ago I was having a text conversation with my sister-in-law about some of the family arrangements for Christmas. At one point, I was about to type a reply saying, "Your family is ridiculous!" Allow me to back-track and give some context. I get on really well with my in-laws, and … [Read more...] about HOW NOT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR IN-LAWS
CAN I BE A FEMINIST AND A STAY-AT-HOME MUM?
I'll be honest: feminism didn't really play a major part in my life until recently. I've been pretty fortunate not to have known any gender-related obstacles at work or at home. I haven't suffered abuse or harassment at the hands of men, nor have I been prevented from doing anything I wanted to do … [Read more...] about CAN I BE A FEMINIST AND A STAY-AT-HOME MUM?
THE SILENT ANNIVERSARY: CELEBRATING MARRIAGE IN A CULTURE OF RELATIONSHIP BREAKDOWN
Last month, we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. Most of the time I feel our life just plods on, so the slightly startling fact that we'd been plodding on longer than Facebook, Netflix and (most people's access to) digital photography seemed worth celebrating. We had a lovely couple of days … [Read more...] about THE SILENT ANNIVERSARY: CELEBRATING MARRIAGE IN A CULTURE OF RELATIONSHIP BREAKDOWN
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BREADMAKER! (OUR MARRIAGE IS 13 TODAY)
This is our breadmaker, and it is 13 years old today. Through four different homes, it has consistently produced beautiful, fresh loaves, as well as pizza dough, ciabatta, focaccia and numerous other variants. To me, it has always been a total miracle of a machine: the fact you can tip in … [Read more...] about HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BREADMAKER! (OUR MARRIAGE IS 13 TODAY)
LUCY RYCROFT IS TEN
Last week, I turned ten. Or - more precisely - Lucy Rycroft turned ten. Lucy Baynes had existed for twenty-something years before, but on 13 July 2002 she became a Rycroft. Here's a picture of us looking young. Last Friday was a good day of celebrating. Coincidentally, we happened to be in the … [Read more...] about LUCY RYCROFT IS TEN
