Work: Why I’m happy to be called an Influencer
What exactly is an ‘influencer,’ and when did it become such a dirty word?
Changing the Goalposts for Older Women
Why I’m not prepared to slide off quietly into invisibile old age
The Real Life of an Insta-Mum
There’s been a furore lately over the Insta-Mum phenomenon. Most of us are on there, even if it’s only to stalk our children’s accounts. We laugh and nod at someone else’s crappy day, and get shopping envy over their new pink boots. The phony Insta-Mum claim Apparently some of us are letting the side down, making motherhood look way too easy and glamorous. We’re posting too many perfect lattes and sparkly manicures, and not enough eyebags and carrot splats. Our houses look too tidy, our children too angelic, and our beaches too pristine. It’s not the truth, some claim, and …
Why teenagers need you more, not less as they grow up
When you’re in the thick of looking after your young child, and someone tells you teenagers need you more than toddlers, you laugh. But here’s why it’s true…
10 Things you should Never Say to a Diabetic if you Value Your Life
In our three years living with Type 1 diabetes I’ve learned a fair bit about myself. Not just my capacity for complicated maths in the middle of the night after a bottle of Prosecco; nor my propensity for hurling my diabetic child into every potentially dangerous adventure, just to prove a point. No, my biggest lesson has been patience. My previously unsuspected ability to smile and nod in the face of extreme provocation. And before we go any further, let me say that I have made at least three of these mistakes myself, in a previous life. So this is …
What’s all the Fuss about 13 Reasons Why?
Everyone is talking about 13 Reasons Why. Have you seen it? Have you deliberately avoided it, not wanting to go to that place where your child is 17 and no longer tells you anything? Has your 12 year old seen it? Did you ban her from watching it? 13 Reasons Why – the take-home message for parents If you don’t know what I’m talking about here, chances are you don’t have a child somewhere between the ages of 11 and 18. 13 Reasons is the Netflix drama about a girl who commits suicide, and the 13 tapes she records to …
Surviving Secondary School For Mums
Tips for parents on getting through their child’s first term at secondary school.
Judgement – a Life Lesson for those who are judged, and those who judge
How best to support your friend who is going through something difficult.
Tips for dealing with mean girls
My darling girl, the time has come for me to tell you about girls. Girls are complicated creatures – I know you’ve got that nailed, you are complicated yourself! Girls can be wonderful, loyal, warm, supportive, nurturing, caring, and funny. They can share everything with you and make you feel like the best person in the world. But they can bring you down with a word – no, a look – and they can destroy your confidence. If you let them. Mean girls: they can be total bitches. I want you to be better than that. You are already better than …