Apparently, parents are unhappy. More unhappy than their non-parent counterparts. In the New York Magazine article by Jennifer Senior ‘All Joy and No Fun – Why Parents Hate Parenting’, Jennifer dives into a wealth of studies which consistently say the same thing, non-parents are happier than parents. This seems counter-intuitive. Everyone keeps expecting the research to say the opposite. And unlike pictures of happy families, children decrease marital happiness. The majority of the studies were American, and while some found the difference in happiness to be statistically insignificant, some definitely …

This blog post was sponsored by Kidspot’s Baby Club. It’s a lovely space for mums and mums-to-be to get together, chat, share, relate and even win some goodies. The best thing is that you can visit at any time of day or night, and if you haven’t had time to shower or do your hair, no one will notice (and there’s a pretty good chance no one else has either). Pop over now and register. Connect with other mums today.

I’ve taken so many photos of Riley that I only …

Welcome to the June Carnival of Natural Parenting: Outdoor fun
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared their stories and tips for playing outside with kids. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
***

I often say that if Riley’s not dirty by the end of the day, I haven’t done my job properly. It gives me great satisfaction to see her cheeks flushed …

I came across this on Crunchy Domestic Goddess.
Here are what Lifescript calls the “10 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make:”
1. Sharing a bed with baby.
2. Putting your child to bed with milk or juice.
3. Buying second-hand toys or baby furniture.
4. Showing your child “smart baby” DVDs.
5. Putting kids in the basket of a shopping cart.
6. Sharing utensils with your child.
7. Delaying or avoiding vaccines.
8. Leaving your child alone in the car “just for a minute.”
9. Skipping helmets on tricycle rides.
10. Leaving your child alone in the bath or shower.
Going on that list …

I can definitely understand some of the benefits of homeschooling, particularly in terms of all the wasted time that traditional schooling entails. And even beyond that, the traditional school environment is not suited to everyone, is inside and more dogmatic than experiential. But I also see it’s limitations. And mine.

We have arrived. The age of ‘no’ is upon us. I knew it was only a matter of time. Riley is far too persistent and too stubborn for it to pass us by, no matter how easy going she is.
I won’t lie. It’s not particularly pleasant. There is defiance, there is even hitting. And there is just plain melt downs aplenty for no good reason. Example: losing the plot because her dad was helping her with play-doh. Apparently him using the rolling pin was an assault on her empire. It …

I was on facebook this evening and into my feed popped a new piece of information about panadol and immunisation thanks to Be a Fun Mum

Which was interesting I thought. Because various GPs and nurses had often recommended to me that I give Riley panadol BEFORE her shots. And for the record, my mum (who is a nurse) was always very keen on me not giving Riley anything before she was sick. I opted for not because I figured that panadol is fast acting and if anything came up later …

Welcome to the May Carnival of Natural Parenting: Role model
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have waxed poetic about how their parenting has inspired others, or how others have inspired them. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
***

I think I can safely say that I have not influenced anyone (in real life) to adopt attachment parenting ideals. And I’m pretty sure that …

This year, Mothers’ Day was a pretty awesome day. Sleep in, pancakes for breakfast, lunch made for me, a nap in the afternoon and generally waited on hand-and-foot.
But. And it’s a big but. Somebody should have told my daughter that it was Mothers’ Day. Would not let me pick her up all day – it was ‘Josh! Josh! Josh!’ and she was having a daddy day. No cuddles or kisses (although I did manage to sneak a cuddle before bed. This morning when Josh was going to leave for work …

Mothers’ Day has got me thinking about fathers’. Strange, yes but it does. Josh often comments that I am the Queen of left-field comments and will often get me to recount the connections that happened in my brain before the words came out of my mouth, just because it’s a roller-coaster ride.
When I said I was thinking about writing about Dads’ for my next post he said (rather indignantly) ‘you should – it’s like you’re running a one man show’. Point taken. Or point not taken and get your …