I’ve never been a fan of the forced apology for young children. To me, it seems to pave the way to ‘sorry’ becoming a get-out-of-jail-free card, liberally used to negate playground pushing without any real empathy or understanding involved.
Nevertheless, I have cringed whenever BabyBoy and BabyGirl, who are not yet three years old, have knocked another child or snatched at a toy….and they do not utter the words I know the other parent wants to hear – ‘sorry’. Continue reading
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.
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.
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.
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 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. Continue reading
My last post dealt with how a teacher dealt, in my opinion, wrongly, with a request for advice from a parent. Today I relate another anecdote showcasing the throwaway comments with which, without realizing, we burden our children with stereotypes. Continue reading
This is the second of three posts outlining my top three highchairs. As I said before, highchairs are a weaning essential, and choosing the right one can make your life a lot easier.
My first great highchair was the Stokke Tripp Trapp. My second takes us to the other end of the price spectrum – the Ikea Antilop.
A highchair is an essential piece of equipment while weaning, particularly if you have twins. A good highchair will contain your child(ren) safely, bring them right up to table height, and be easy to clean.
With this is mind, my next three posts will set out my top three highchairs. Continue reading
My in-laws are good, worthy people. But boy do they rile me up when it comes to my children.
My mother-in-law in particular suffers from (a) a lack of tact, and (b) a lack of boundaries. On a bad day, I can silently (and when she has gone, not-so-silently) wish that she never had to set foot over my threshold again. On a good day, I can take a deep breath and let it go. Continue reading
afterninemonths 