My fabulous daughters, lights of my life, are a precocious handful. For anybody with small children – ’nuff said! On this page you’ll find some of the most important links from my parenting archives, however if you’re looking for something specific, you can always try using the search box at the top of the page.
There are no qualifications to be a parent. Instead there are badges of honour, of which I have many.
I fancy myself as a Girl Guide: Bodily Functions badges – I have them all; Sleep Deprivation* – nailed it; Terrible Twos – tick, tick, tick. I’m not looking forward to the rites of passage that will see me awarded my Bullying and Boyfriends badges, but hopefully I have a few years reprieve before they’re due!
*If you’re desperate for help with getting more sleep without attempting any kind of sleep training (not my bag – I quizzed Jo Frost about controlled crying and wasn’t convinced), then check out my posts about baby sleep regressions and how you can get more rest when your baby refuses to sleep.
Seeing that in print, I think parents can actually be compared more closely with freaking superheroes than Guides (or, in the interest of equality, Scouts). And superheroes or not, mums are basically Jedis, which is arguably more impressive anyway. Curious as to how I can make such a bold claim? Read this.
Being a parent is everything I ever imagined, to the power of ten.
A traumatic delivery made life very difficult for a while after Pixie was born, and I’ve been left with ongoing anxiety. But I have, for the most part, found a way to manage it. Part of my tonic is this blog, where I share the ups and downs and what has and has not worked for me.
I’ve discovered that a positive labour is possible after a traumatic delivery – and that it can be very healing. I’ve also had some very bleak times since Elfin arrived: feeling overwhelmed with life when she was diagnosed with CMPA as opposed to the baby acne or milk spots I’d dismissed her rash as initially, and desperate for more help with my baby. Suffice to say, colic is a bitch.
But for the most part, I’ve felt incredibly grateful and completely in love with my girls.
I’ve blogged about people’s opinions about when I should have a second baby (still one of my popular posts ever), my subsequent pregnancy, and some of the products that have helped me cope with lack of sleep. I know these will be sacred, so to make life as simple as possible, you may wish to check these out:
- Chicco Next2Me Dream Review: Was It the Game Changer I’d Hoped?
- Baby Sleep Regression By Age, and How to Survive
- How We Started to Reclaim Our Sleep, Featuring myHummy
- Sleepyhead Grand Baby Pod Review – Will It Make My Baby Sleep?!
You’ll also find lots of posts about toddlers, preschoolers, and beyond. Some of my most popular posts which may be of particular interest include:
- Supporting children’s emotional development
- This Morning’s resident psychologist on keeping our children safe from grooming
- The loophole that means preschool can steal your child’s funding
- How to help your anxious child
- Encouraging your child to relax without screen time
- How to nail your school run routine
- Researching the perfect childcare
There’s a plethora of posts that will hopefully help you find your way if you’re expecting, or provide support if you’re already in the thick of family life. Here are some useful links:
- Baby and Toddler Product Reviews Round-Up
- Pregnancy Posts
- Newborns and Babies Posts
- Breastfeeding Help, Advice, and Support
- Parenting Posts
- Marriage Posts (because it does become a priority again, eventually)
I’ve included some of the links that I expect will be most important here, but if you’ve not found what you’re looking for, try using the search box at the top of the page.