The Grandparent Files: A Pre-Holiday Scandal

As we wind down (or gear up, depending on your point of view) for the summer holidays and all that traveling with young children entails, my stress levels are rising. And they have not been helped by the obligatory pre-holiday visit from the in-laws.

We are taking BabyBoy and BabyGirl to visit my parents this summer (woo hoo!). They live overseas so it’s a big deal for us to go. My in-laws, on the other hand, live a few hours drive from us and we see them all too regularly. However, this has not stopped my mother-in-law from acting like we’re emigrating.

‘Grandma’s going to miss you sooo much!’
‘You’re going for such a looong time!’
‘BabyBoy, will you talk to Grandma on the telephone while you’re away?’

Yes, she’s piling on the guilt thick and fast. And those are sentences she has said to my 2 year olds.

But as a final, parting shot she decided to remind us that she still, still, has no respect for us as parents.

The Diaper Bag Debacle

Ah, the diaper bag. A new mum’s new best friend. An essential piece of equipment, true, but here’s a secret….there is no need to go out and buy a ‘diaper bag’.

What makes a diaper bag a ‘diaper bag’? Is it the teddy bear design? The hundreds of pockets? The ubiquitous included changing mat?

No, it’s simply a bag that you are using to carry baby stuff in. In fact, the only essentials are enough storage, easy clean, looks good and ideally allows you to be hands free. Here’s why…

Easy Craft 3: Coloring-In and Sparklebox

Coloring is an excellent way to hone your child’s creativity and pre-writing skills. With the right equipment, it can also be high on the list of no-mess, no-fuss arts and crafts.

The thing with coloring in for little ones, is that the drawings have to be simple. Like the one picture above. And the best thing is there is a resource which has such drawings available for free – Sparklebox.

Easy Craft 2: Stickers

My second post in the Easy Crafts series introduces the wonderful world of….stickers!

Sticker art is an easy, non-messy way of honing your toddler’s fine motor skills and inspiring creativity.

Easy Craft 1: Bottle Shakers

I am not a craft-y person. Paint makes me shudder. Mess brings me out in metaphorical hives. But since BabyBoy and BabyGirl appeared on the scene, I have been taking (baby) steps to make art and craft part of our lives.

Enter a new series of posts – easy crafts. For me, the simpler the better!

These bottle shakers are unbelievably easy to make and provide a new toy for your little ones.

PMS and Motherhood

PMS sucks. It was awful at school. It was debilitating at work. But it is truly truly horrendous when you are a mother of young children.

Today I was struggling with PMS. I was irritable and felt lousy. BabyBoy and BabyGirl were whining, testing, arguing…..well, just being toddlers. On a normal day I might just crash at bedtime. Today I felt like I wasn’t going to be able to hack it. Today I knew I needed to take a day off sick….but there are no sick days in this job.