Communication, Kids and Culture
I don’t want to be a kill-joy, obviously, but I’ve always found celebrations one of the most stressful aspects of bringing up children. I’m an introvert, which means I’m great at speaking to a group (I’m in control, there’s a … Read More
I didn’t know what to call this post, I couldn’t think of a title that wasn’t immediately off-putting. The vaguely distracted mother, the inattentive mother, the preoccupied mother…no, they all sound like critisisms: ‘the disengaged mother’ I hope sounds neutral … Read More
When my first baby was born I remember the time my mother said to me, in a slightly anxious and strained voice: ‘You don’t want to make him the centre of your life.’ I just thought ‘But how could he … Read More
I’ve been hearing stories all week of obnoxious behaviour from children towards their mothers. I’ve heard stories about kids of all ages, boys and girls, from toddlers to teenagers, and it kicked off with a piece I read in the … Read More
Why do we parents feel such an obligation to play with our kids? I just read a blog called Why I’m Afraid to Play With My Kids which reminds me of an article in the paper I read a couple of … Read More
We live in a culture of improvement – new improved tastes, experiences, products, results – you can’t get away with just leaving something as it is anymore, it will begin to look shabby. The rate of growth of technology in … Read More
It’s hard to believe it now but I used to try and be really nice to my children all the time. They won’t remember. I really did think that’s what you were supposed to do and I can’t believe now … Read More
I remember watching some t.v. news programme years ago, where an interviewer asked an ‘expert’ this question: ‘Should we be worrying about this?’ I think it was something to do with a food scare. The question stayed with me. Should … Read More
My journey to the state (and enjoyment) of outraged indignance started many years ago. I remember very clearly when I was quite young, the moment I gave myself permission to feel irritated. This was way before I became a parent, … Read More
I spent years and a lot of money on my first two children when they were little, trying to cure their personalities with alternative therapies, before realising that they didn’t need it (well, one of them didn’t..). Just to assure … Read More