One of the wonderful things about blogging is the buzz of excitement when people really engage with something you've written. My recent post Am I OK with my daughter aspiring to 'Mummy'? attracted a lot of discussion, not least because of the obvious gender-related questions. I've re-read the post a … [Read more...] about WHAT KIND OF ‘STATUS’ DO WE WANT FOR OUR KIDS?
Family Life
Whether you're looking for support in parenting or marriage, education or homemaking, this is the page for you. Feel free to browse, and if there's something you'd like to see, don't hesitate to give me a shout!
AM I OK WITH MY DAUGHTER ASPIRING TO ‘MUMMY’?
Every once in a while a familiar article sweeps its way through the press. From whichever angle it's coming, the premise is that children whose parents 'don't work' are less likely to work when they grow up. Although I know that the article is mainly referring to a demographic of which I am not … [Read more...] about AM I OK WITH MY DAUGHTER ASPIRING TO ‘MUMMY’?
WHAT DOES ADOPTION LOOK LIKE, 14 MONTHS IN?
It should say enough about our experience of adoption that this blog post was supposed to be titled 'adoption: six months on'. Being around eight months late with everything has become a feature of the past fourteen months. There you go, enough said. We've adopted kids, and now we have no time. Job … [Read more...] about WHAT DOES ADOPTION LOOK LIKE, 14 MONTHS IN?
ADOPTION: WHAT MAKES A SIBLING?
Sibling relationships vary so much - and that's without bringing adoption into the equation. For example, I have two brothers that I basically didn't grow up with - the large age gap meant they were away at school and university, and then moved out, while I was going through childhood. We are still … [Read more...] about ADOPTION: WHAT MAKES A SIBLING?
TOP 5 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN VISITING A PRIMARY SCHOOL
This Autumn, many of us will be visiting a primary/elementary school open day or three, trying to fathom where to send our little person next September. We may be wanting to know some good questions to ask while we're there. (If it's secondary school, check out What questions should I ask a … [Read more...] about TOP 5 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN VISITING A PRIMARY SCHOOL
WHY I’M (STILL) SENDING MY CHILD TO A SCHOOL IN SPECIAL MEASURES
A couple of years ago, I blogged about our reasons for sending our son, then 4, to a school which had been put in special measures. Two weeks ago, our daughter started at the same school, and I wanted to share with you why, two years on, we have no regrets about this decision. Positive … [Read more...] about WHY I’M (STILL) SENDING MY CHILD TO A SCHOOL IN SPECIAL MEASURES
THE SEX EDUCATION OF A 4-YEAR-OLD
"Mummy, how do you make a baby?" It's a question we all expect - but I was expecting it later. Certainly not at age 4. >>Talking to our Teenagers about Sex, Relationships and the Bible<< However, I need to explain something about Missy. She is baby-obsessed, … [Read more...] about THE SEX EDUCATION OF A 4-YEAR-OLD
#TOOMANYCHILDREN
It's not that I don't love them all. I do - madly. But there are a lot of them. Maybe they seem more numerous because all of them are so very small - of course lots of people cope admirably with 5+ kids, so why should I be complaining at having merely four to raise? The fact that, … [Read more...] about #TOOMANYCHILDREN
FOLLOW ME! LENT DEVOTIONAL FOR FAMILIES
It's a sad irony that the years when storyteller Amy Robinson and I lived in the same city never overlapped with the years of me being a parent, as I think our family would have loved her storytelling performances. The next best thing to being able to watch Amy, though, is surely to immerse … [Read more...] about FOLLOW ME! LENT DEVOTIONAL FOR FAMILIES