I’ve been struggling a lot recently with the fact that us mamas have to multitask, while the dads seem to find it a little harder, to say the least!
I can cook a full dinner, put on a wash, hang up the washing and wash a few dishes all while my daughter toddles around the kitchen amusing herself with her toys, hangs off my legs, cries to be picked up and generally goes about her day. I’ve even been known to pop her on the counter to breastfeed while I’ve been cooking.
I have either lost or deleted an entire memory card full of pictures.
If I ever locate my missing week, I shall edit this rather sad and forlorn page and update it.
I am a member of the ‘cry-it-out’ generation. When my daughter, Kyra, was just a few days old, my mother suggested we leave her to cry for twenty minutes and she would sleep better. If she was still crying after twenty minutes, we could go in comfort her, and then start again. I sat in the next room crying as I heard my newborn crying. We did it twice, and I vowed never again.
My little girl’s first birthday is coming up soon. I know many people don’t make much of a fuss for first birthdays, but for various reasons we are. Of course, every good party starts with an invitation so I thought I’d share with you what I’ve done.
This is such an amazing recipe. The bread is beautifully moist and such a lovely flavour. It uses less eggs than other recipes I’ve tried, and the addition of the coconut is unusual but brilliant. It’s also really quick to mix together, and fills the house with a subtle and warming fragrance.
Continue reading Just Have to Share – Fantastic Banana and Coconut Bread
3 Comments on Just Have to Share – Fantastic Banana and Coconut Bread
I am unapologetically pro-breastfeeding: I think it is absolutely normal and everything else is sub-standard. But I am also passionately pro babies being safe, and when a mother cannot or chooses not to breastfeed her child, or for whatever reason makes the decision to formula feed, I think it is essential that she is equipped to do so safely.
Information. It is so vital to our survival. Misinformation, on the other hand is a killer. Can you imagine if you were told that a red traffic light meant ‘go’? What chaos would reign in your life, if you lived very long at all?
I have been sorely disturbed in recent months by the information and lack thereof surrounding the sleeping, feeding and care of our babies if it doesn’t fall strictly in line with the latest guidelines, based on the latest research.
Continue reading If Pretending Made It So: We Need Education Not Denial
7 Comments on If Pretending Made It So: We Need Education Not Denial
Author: Martin
It’s probably fair to say that there are a lot of less than perfect fathers out there, but having been at the business myself for approaching a year now, there’s a part of me that sympathises.
Now, that’s not to excuse bad parenting – absolutely not. What I mean is that there’s no manual telling you how to be a dad (and if there was, we’d no doubt refuse to read it, of course), and particularly in the beginning, you spend an awful lot of time trying to figure out just what you’re supposed to be doing.
For the time being our weeks have taken on a distinctly domestic flavour. We’re preparing for our next trip in October, so laying low for the moment, saving up and living frugally. But even so, friends need to be seen, family visited and life must continue, so the odd slow at home day is always a pleasure.
Lenore Skenazy on Parentdish recently wrote ‘Don’t talk to strangers’ is dangerous advice in which she suggests that rather than teaching our children not to talk to strangers, we should teach them which strangers to turn to.
