My family loves a good game - which is just as well, really, as our entertainment options are fairly limited right now! It's a hobby my husband and I enjoy, so I guess it's been natural to pass this down to our kids. We've been playing board games and card games with them ever since they were … [Read more...] about 25 FAMILY GAMES (THAT EVEN GROWN-UPS WILL ENJOY)
Parenting
Parenting is such a challenging role! And there are so many people telling us how we should do it.
I am not one of those people. But I hope that by sharing my own - often highly flawed - experiences, I can offer reassurance and empathy to others going through similar challenges.
YOUR TODDLER IS GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS JUST FINE. AND SO ARE YOU.
You're probably reading this in a snatched moment of peace, perhaps during naptime, after bedtime, or even on the loo - the only place you can ever get a few seconds to yourself these days. I'm going to hazard a guess that you're also feeling guilty right now, knowing that there's something more … [Read more...] about YOUR TODDLER IS GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS JUST FINE. AND SO ARE YOU.
HOW TO MAKE EASTER SPECIAL (PLUS FREE EASTER EGG HUNT PRINTABLE!)
Easter is a tricky festival to celebrate with children. On the one hand, there is so much joy - we are celebrating the ultimate pivot point of all of history! But on the other hand, there is a whole load of sadness and gory stuff which happens beforehand. For our adopted children, especially, … [Read more...] about HOW TO MAKE EASTER SPECIAL (PLUS FREE EASTER EGG HUNT PRINTABLE!)
PARENTS: DON’T ADD GUILT TO THE BURDENS YOU’RE ALREADY CARRYING
Which New Year's Resolutions did you make this year? I'm going to hazard a guess that home schooling wasn't one of them. (Unless you're a home educator. In which case I imagine the 10,000% increase in online educational resources over the last week has felt rather like all your Christmases … [Read more...] about PARENTS: DON’T ADD GUILT TO THE BURDENS YOU’RE ALREADY CARRYING
FAMILY DEVOTIONAL IDEAS (WHEN YOUR KIDS ARE RUNNING RIOT)
I don't know if you've ever tried sitting down with your family for a planned time of Bible reading, prayer, worship or all three. If you haven't, imagine unicycling into a lion's cage, balancing a ball on your head, and holding raw steaks out in front of you whilst listening to some vintage … [Read more...] about FAMILY DEVOTIONAL IDEAS (WHEN YOUR KIDS ARE RUNNING RIOT)
10 BEST FAMILY DEVOTIONS (TO BRING KIDS AND GROWN-UPS TOGETHER)
Key-workers excluded, most of us are now at the start of a fairly long period at home with our families. We may have loads of ideas and goals for this time, or we may be taking each day as it comes. We may feel excited for the coming weeks, or daunted by the prospect of spending so much intense … [Read more...] about 10 BEST FAMILY DEVOTIONS (TO BRING KIDS AND GROWN-UPS TOGETHER)
HOW TO SURVIVE SCHOOL CLOSURE AS A FAMILY
With schools having closed in many countries, and increasing numbers of people here in the UK needing to self-isolate with children, I wanted to share with you a few ideas about how to survive at home with your kids. Now, I have four children between 5 and 10 and, much as I love them dearly, I am … [Read more...] about HOW TO SURVIVE SCHOOL CLOSURE AS A FAMILY
I WANT TO SAVE THE PLANET…BUT I’M LATE FOR THE SCHOOL RUN
Recently, a Hope Tribe member got in touch to share her concerns about the environment, and her guilt that, in the busyness and intensity of having young kids, she didn't feel like she was doing very much. I find it hard to be an environmentally friendly mum and meet the expectations that are … [Read more...] about I WANT TO SAVE THE PLANET…BUT I’M LATE FOR THE SCHOOL RUN
DEAR WORLD: PLEASE STOP USING THE LABEL ‘WORKING MUM’
For years, women who work outside the home have protested against the label ‘full-time mum’ being used for a woman who stays home to look after her children. And rightly so. If a child has an accident at school, that mum will likely have to leave work to attend to the emergency – because she is, … [Read more...] about DEAR WORLD: PLEASE STOP USING THE LABEL ‘WORKING MUM’