A mum is the sum of her kids. True or false? “Hello gorgeous!” Says everyone to your baby. Completely ignoring you, the one holding him, the one who grew him in your body and brought him into the world: surely the biggest achievement of all time. “Boy 1 got 10/10 in spelling today!” I tell […]

Image copyright Rhona Garvin, published by U Studio Design Supermum. Best Mum Ever. Fantastic Mum. Who, me? As I browse card displays, I grow increasingly dismayed. I am not any of these mums. All the superlatives and hyperboles leave me feeling wretched. What is “super” about never starting the school run without a last minute shoutathon? What […]

“Do not murder” I can do. But ‘Do not covet”? No chance! If you have a handbag I like, I’m going to go ahead and covet it. If I fancy your wallpaper, I won’t rest till I’ve extracted the full details from you. I just can’t help myself. To try and get my little vice out […]

Desperate to get back on the slopes but now have a baby (or two) in tow? When’s the best time to start your child skiing? Children are never too young to take skiing – in fact, we took our first child skiing when he was a foetus. Purely by accident, of course – I didn’t […]

“Can we look at the pond?” my little one says. “Of course, darling,” I reply. I look down in wonder at his little head as we start to cross the green near pre-school. I still find it amazing when he speaks in full sentences. Almost like a big boy. The September sky is a brilliant […]

The one where I fall back in love with ironing. Plus an amazing 50% discount offer for Beldray products! When I put up my sparkling new Beldray ironing board, it was a revelation. In a lovely fresh orange it is uplifting to behold, it was tall enough for me to use without stooping, and twice […]

Baby brain is a terrible curse – you find yourself forgetting the most basic thing, like how old your child is. Well, take my simple quiz and find out! 1. You feel like an all-powerful goddess-woman, riding high on a cloud of elation and intense relief. Your child is 1 second old. Your child is […]

I’m all for education. But I want my children back. I LOVED school when we started. One child taken care of for the whole day, five days a week. The smart little book bag in the hall, the nativity to look forward to. The sense that our family was joining a community. But now, I’m […]

I hope I’ll smile at children in the supermarket aisle, Not look at them as if I’d never seen something so vile. I hope if kids are romping at the doctor’s surgery, I’ll keep in mind that one of them feels poorly, just like me.  If a child careers towards me on a newly-mastered scooter […]

The first time crayon touches paper is sacred. What could be more precious than your child’s first work of art? But what about their 500th? Do you keep it – or bin it? My child’s handprints in paint at a few months old are one of my most treasured possessions. But his 100th drawing of […]

Coffee mornings – that’s all we mums do, isn’t it? According to outsiders, that is. But, there is a grain of truth in it… Read More OK, so I’ve more or less lost my baby weight. The baby’s given up the boob, so I’ve lost the nursing bras. But I… Read More If my list […]

The Family Travel Show is on at Olympia on 31st October and 1st November – and you can take your children without worrying about them staying still long enough for you to enjoy the exhibitors. All thanks to Esprit, the UK’s No. 1 Family Ski company, which is offering free, bookable childcare on both days. Picture credit: […]

Pounce the Tiger snowsuit available to rent at EcoSki. Pic: Dinoski. Renting Skiwear = Better Kit, Better for the Planet – and It’s Covid-safe Too EcoSki offers sterile, premium skiwear to rent If you’re hoping to ski this season (pandemic-permitting), why not think about renting kit for you and the kids? Rent, with Covid-19 / Omicron? Is that […]

Starting school is fraught with its own difficulties, but moving to Key Stage 2 has felt almost worse. Settling in time is over and now the *@&% has really got real. The first day at school is a huge milestone in every family’s life – full of hopes and fears, anxieties and tears. Much of […]