GOOD READS
The Montessori Toddler, by Amsterdam Montessori teacher Simone Davies
Toddlers can be a handful. The expression 'the terrible twos' says enough: toddlers are known to be difficult and obstinate. They won't eat, won't sleep, won't listen, and in general go left when you want them to go right! Simone Davies, Montessori teacher and writer of the new publication 'The Montessori Toddler', sees things in ...
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PARENTING TIPS
Teenagers -- let them vent!
When my girls were small, their problems seemed smaller. A cuddle and a kiss solved most problems. But as they grow bigger, so does the complexity of their problems. I cannot just rush in like Batman anymore and make everything okay. One new development I have noticed as my kids getting older is the need ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
Teens - Navigating the rocky waters of social media
Teens and social media is a 'hot potato' topic (as we say in French). The fact is: as much as I love the idea of a totally unplugged childhood, we will not be able to avoid social media forever. We ourselves use social media, and for good reason -- it is a simple way to ...
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TUESDAY TIPS
Dealing with teenage negativity. Tips please!
Easton will turn 13 next month, and in perfect timing, he is beginning to act like a teenager. Suddenly, it seems that I can't do anything right, and he feels compelled to complain about everything: The specific t-shirt he wants to wear isn't clean. We're not leaving on time; we'll definitely be late. The music in ...
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PARENTING
Weaning your baby -- tips for the end of your breastfeeding journey
I've received a few messages lately asking for my advice on how to wean your baby from breastfeeding. Mothers have written asking for me to share how I weaned Wilkie, how I knew it was the right time, how long I think they should breastfeed their own baby, and some even asking me why, at ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
What are your house rules?
I was comparing house rules with a friend the other day and I found it interesting how different our rules are, and how we prioritise different rules over others. Sometimes, as I discovered while chatting about it, we might even have rules that we enforce without really thinking about why -- perhaps they are rules we ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
After school activities: when is it too much?
After school activities can be great for keeping your kids active and entertained beyond the school day. They can encourage your children to hone skills they might not necessarily have the chance to practice in school, and it can be a wonderful opportunity for kids to make new friends outside of their classroom. However, having ...
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TUESDAY TIPS
When teenagers challenge -- a tip for how to respond
I have a dear friend who is a mentor and life coach in all senses of the word, offering advice to everyone at all stages of life -- from how to develop healthy sleep habits with your baby to dealing with the death of a loved one. She's also a mother of four, including two ...
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INTERVIEWS
Life as a deaf mother, an interview with Uzma from Mabel Child
Parenting can be a challenge for us all, there is no doubt. Being able to hear and communicate with our children is something we take for granted. We rely on our hearing to keep our children safe and to meet their practical needs, not to mention communicating with them! First words, learning to read, conversations ...
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PARENTING
What chores do you give your kids?
Growing up, my siblings and I had loads of chores. Beyond the usual daily chores, my dad even assigned bigger project-based chores for us to do, especially in the summer time when we were home from school. He believed we should be kept busy working and helping around the house. We were given chores like ...
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FOOD
Lactation Biscuits -- for increasing your milk supply
Wilkie weighed 3.8 kilos at birth (a big, tall baby!), and after the initial weight loss that most newborns experience, it took him nearly three weeks to put back on his birth weight. The midwives weren't overly concerned, especially knowing I had successfully breastfed four other babies, but they did start suggesting natural ways to ...
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PARENTING
Two weeks with Wilkie
Hello from baby love bubble land!! Oooh my goodness, you guys! The past two weeks have been the most wonderful, magical, sleepy, messy, happy, dreamy....! These really are the best moments of life, aren't they? I haven't opened up my computer for the past couple weeks, but I just wanted to quickly check in and say ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
Would you let your children watch your birth?
I have always loved the idea of a homebirth -- the thought of staying in the comfort and cosiness of my own space, of lighting candles and playing music, of never having to leave my family, of snacking on food from my cupboards, and of crawling back into my own bed once the baby has ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
What to name our 5th baby?!?
I have four weeks until our baby is due… and we still haven’t made any firm decisions on names. I am sure we are overcomplicating things and being far too picky, however this being our fifth baby, it feels extra difficult to come up with names we love. Also, when you don’t know the gender, it ...
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TUESDAY TIPS
The power of the embarrassing parent!
My kids are wonderful (of course I would say that), strong willed, independent little women and on the whole, they are easy to get along with. But there are moments where they seem to feel that, by repeating over and over and over again that they want a packet of chocolate eggs in the isle of ...
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GOOD READS
Parenting without Borders, by Christine Gross-Loh
I recently read a conversation with Christine Gross-Loh in the super cool Lunch Lady magazine about raising kids in different cultures. It's a topic I find fascinating having brought up our girls in places throughout Europe, Africa and in the USA. I've seen so much diversity in childhoods and had so many discussions about parental topics with friends from all nationalities ...
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PARENTING
Busy Boxes: a great idea to keep little ones entertained
Super simple ideas are the best, and this idea of a BUSY BOX for bigger siblings, which is great for both mamas and kids, will help enormously in the early weeks & months of second (or third) time motherhood (especially if you don't have extra help at home!). We know newborns love to feed, sleep, ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
Do you talk about sex with your children?
The other day, Courtney and I were discussing the way parents talk about sex with their children. How difficult this subject sometimes seems to be, and how easy people shy away from discussing it. Why is it, that something so beautiful and special can be so controversial at the same time? I don't know if ...
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TUESDAY TIPS
Reassure Soon-to-be Siblings with a Simple Video
How do you take care of your eldest child(ren) when you are about to have a baby? Well, I recently ran into a local mum. She is due with her second child and asked me what I experienced differently while pregnant the second time. And my answer, without even thinking twice, was that I worried more about ...
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TUESDAY TIPS
Encouraging your child to walk
Over the past ten months of our travels, Michael and I have fallen into a bad habit. We try to encourage Marlow to walk wherever we go, but she never gets far before asking (and then demanding...) to be carried. She has become so spoiled having both her parents (and big brothers!) with her every day, ...
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TEENAGERS
The big phone debate
Apologies for another post on the mobile phone debate. The thing is - it is at the forefront of our minds as our eldest kids are approaching the equally feared and anticipated teenage years. It is also triggered by a recent survey that found that in the UK the average age for giving a child ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
Depression during pregnancy
This past April, in Australia, I went out to dinner with some new girl friends. Our conversation that night became quite intimate and over the course of dinner I learned of one friend’s struggle with pregnancy depression. She shared, so eloquently, her struggle and journey to get support during her recent pregnancy. For the first ...
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PARENTING TIPS
Thursday's Thoughts : Deciding when you have had enough?
I’m nearing 40 and always thought that when I hit that celebratory birthday I’d know; I’d know that I had enough children. But when I asked friends recently, “How do you know when you’ve had enough?” they replied, “You just know it. It will hit you.” Now I realise I am not big on numbers ...
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