The letter came a couple of weeks ago. Princess Child is going to need an i-Pad for Year 7. That will be $498 for the actual piece of equipment, another $59 for the aps required, then so help me it's going to need some pretty hardy protective casing if it is going to survive life in the school bag. That thing gets thrown about, stood on, sat on and … [Read more...]
Another Sad Goodbye
The house is a little quieter today. There's no padding of paws up the hallway, no frenzy of barking when you arrive home, no little yap to let you know you are taking a bit too long to dish out his dinner. For the first time in 10 years we are without a pet in our household. After losing Abbey earlier this year yesterday we had to say … [Read more...]
What Happened To Childhood?
I'm as guilty as any parent of rambling on to my children about how tough my childhood was, "what do you mean you can't walk to the bus stop, I walked to school EVERY DAY and IN THE FROST". Yet it has struck me this week that perhaps my children are experiencing a childhood more complex, more emotionally challenging and with more pressure than … [Read more...]
Team Sports – Why Do We Do It?
I am exhausted this morning. Last night I played the longest, hardest game of soccer EVER. Oh all right, I was on the sideline but I swear I ran every inch of that field in my mind. It was finals night. Five minutes from the end we were leading 1 - 0. The Grand Final was in sight. Then the opposition scored. As the ref blew the final whistle we … [Read more...]
This is What Happens When I Try To Be A Responsible Parent
It is clear that for 90 per cent of the time I'm flying blind with this parenting gig. Look we've survived 15 years, everyone is still here, there are only a few physical scars (Princess Child had a habit of throwing herself into activities with a little more vigour than her coordination development allowed; hence front teeth damaged on slippery … [Read more...]
School Photo Day
It's school photo day at Shambles Manor. Which means it's the morning I look at my child and curse myself for not organising a hair cut. I'm not good with hair. I can't do buns or plaits and I sometimes struggle with the basic of ponytails. Who decided I should give birth to girls? Obviously I don't have the necessary credentials to raise … [Read more...]
Letter to Marissa Mayer
Dear Marissa, Congratulations on your new job as CEO of Yahoo. I know it was a real coup securing the job when you were six months pregnant and it is fantastic that Yahoo were willing to see past the baby bump and value the talent and skill of the woman. I want to jump up and down and celebrate the equality of the situation, but I'm … [Read more...]
Should We Raise Our Daughters To Be Nice?
Yesterday I noticed this tweet from writer, broadcaster and comedian, Catherine Deveny and it got me thinking about the way we raise our daughters. I sometimes lament my own "niceness". I like to help people, I'm (mostly) kind, too polite for my own good and don't like to offend anyone. Is that a drawback in modern society? At times I … [Read more...]
At What Age?
When the kids are little there is an avalanche of baby books telling you at what age you should do things or when your children should be reaching certain milestones. Introducing solids - got it covered. Crawling - should be happening. Talking - under control. Toilet training - we've got an age span where it should be happening. But … [Read more...]
Letting Go
Obviously writing about being sleep deprived recently meant I had to go back - just to remind myself. Hippie Child went with a friend to a concert in Newcastle this week (that's almost a three-hour drive from home). I found myself wandering the house wondering if I should wait up, or go to bed. They weren't expected home until about 2.00am. Mr … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- …
- 6
- Next Page »
