Thirteen years ago a hefty bundle of joy landed on my lap and turned my world upside down. Bringing up Harry has been challenging at times but hugely rewarding. I don’t profess to have all the answers, but here are a few things I wish I had known as a new mum. The guiltDon’t… Read More Advice to a new Mum from an old-ish Mum
The Christmas frenzy is building and we are all hurtling towards December 25 looking forward to all the overindulgences it brings. For lots of people though this time of year can be hard as it has a nasty habit of shining a huge Christmas light on difficult issues. Grief, loss, troubled relationships and money issues… Read More The big Christmas lie
Two years ago I bribed my son into going to Scouts – yes that’s right I paid him £2. I’d spent months badgering him to go and he flatly refused so my only option was cold hard cash. Predictably after just one session he loved it and within two weeks he was setting off on… Read More Why we need the Scouting movement now more than ever
It is a momentous weekend for us as we become the proud owner of a brand new teenager. Eye rolling and attitude aside, it is actually quite nice having a 13 year old around and, although I miss the years when he was a little boy, there’s much to celebrate in his coming of age.… Read More Six great things about your children turning into teens
Moving to secondary school can be tough – not just for the kids. I cried my eyes out last September watching Harry get on the bus for the first time. Here are 10 things I’ve learnt since then. There’s a lot to remember Primary school is a doddle let’s face it. It comes as a… Read More The big move to secondary school – ten things I’ve learnt from the first year
Phone anywhere when planning your nuptials and just by dropping the word wedding into the conversation the price of food, flowers and clothing miraculously doubles. Look at any wedding literature and it is likely to use the words ‘best day of your life’ pushing you into buying those £200 shoes and that £1,000 cake you probably… Read More No thanks to ice sculptures, £1,000 cakes and gold embossed invites for our wedding
For many years Mother’s Day was a pretty dreadful time for me and I would have happily spent the entire day in a cupboard with a bottle of gin. I’m not sure what the worst thing was; the relentless advertising of cards and chocolates or the deluge of ‘treat your mum’ emails from florists and… Read More Dear Hallmark – Mother’s Day is a bit sh*t for some of us
Have you found out which secondary school your child will go to this September? Six months ago I stood at a bus stop sobbing my heart out as my ‘baby boy’ went off to big school – here’s what I’ve learnt since then. There’s a lot to remember For seven years my son sat in a… Read More The big move to secondary school – lessons I’ve learnt six months down the line
I’ve written a blog post below for a website call Moodscope. The site is worth checking out if you’ve never heard of it. Here’s by blog. Time to fess up I was horrified the other day when I inadvertently let slip to my 11 year old son I was having counselling. Dashing out of the… Read More Speaking to our children about mental health