I’ve got a confession to make: my child doesn't watch television.But here's the thing: I never set out for Flea not to watch television. I'm not one of those parents who will only feed their child organic Quinoa and ethically-sourced dried fruits. Honestly, I've nothing against the odd packet of chocolate buttons. I'm normal (relatively speaking). It just happened. When Flea was born, I had to go back to work very quickly, because me and The Father were both … [Read more...]
Halloween Costumes: Sorted.
October 12, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
This month, The Great Toy Guide team has been hard at work testing kids’ Halloween costumes, and we’ve put together our guide to 12 of the best outfits for your children this Halloween. Hey, it's a tough job, but we're there for you. We think there's something great here whatever your budget or your kids' preferences: from cute pumpkin outfits to spooky ghouls, medieval princesses and Peter Pan. Tim from Bringing up Charlie has even tested a fantastic face paint and … [Read more...]
The Ex Files: part 2,004
October 12, 2009 by · 19 Comments
The Father and I are at loggerheads. I am illegally depriving him of his right to have a relationship with his child. They have found a way to love each other despite the barriers that I have put in their way, but the fact remains that I am the Enemy, and The Father is ready and willing to go to war against my Campaign of Evil, if only so that when Felicity is fully grown, she will know how much her Daddy loved her. So he's called in the lawyers. Cripes. Given all this, you might think I’m … [Read more...]
An Ode to Playmobil
October 11, 2009 by · 6 Comments
As a parent, you enter - or rather re-enter - the World of Toys. One of my favourite rediscoveries has been Playmobil. For those who aren't familiar, this is a range of plastic figures and playsets that allow kids to play at all sorts of things, from construction to hospitals. They're a bit smaller than your typical action figure (that's because of the 1970s oil crisis, trivia fans) and so they're just the right size for little hands. I loved Playmobil as a kid, and Flea … [Read more...]
When nine months feels like a lifetime
October 8, 2009 by · 30 Comments
Peggy over at A Mother's Secrets is gathering stories about pregnancy low points. I thought long and hard before deciding to post something about my pregnancy. It was one long low point really. But I decided to share it here because when I look at Flea now, finally, I can say it was worth it. And perhaps someone in a similar situation will be cheered up - I know I used to scour the Internet for stories like mine that had happy endings. I found out I was pregnant a week before my … [Read more...]
Oh, you have a life? Cancel it.
October 7, 2009 by · 18 Comments
As a school Mummy, I am an abject failure. This Monday was Harvest Festival. I remembered this just as I was holding open the school's front door for another School Mummy and her three kids. Each child was holding a cardboard box filled with Arborio rice and jars of organic pasta sauces. As I mentally kicked myself, I noticed the three kids’ boxes were decorated. With lovely sparkly wrapping paper and glitter and everything. That’s just offensive, frankly. Also? It meant I couldn’t … [Read more...]
Top 100 UK Parent Blogs and Bloggers – October 2009
October 6, 2009 by · 58 Comments
Welcome to the Tots100 Index of the UK's Top Parent Bloggers Welcome to the October Tots100 index of the UK's top 100 parent blogs and bloggers! The British Mummy (and Daddy) blogging scene is getting exciting - we've got a brand new number one blog this month and no fewer than 17 new entries to the index - so lots of new reading for everyone! I spent quite a lot of time putting together the blog index this month - with so many new entries, there was quite a bit of work. To … [Read more...]
Why don’t fathers get called Dadpreneurs?
October 5, 2009 by · 30 Comments
There’s been lots of chat online in the last month about “mumpreneurs” – women who set up businesses while also running a family. One of the big winners at the recent Mumpreneur conference was Antonia Chitty, a fantastically successful journalist and author, who I've known of through work for a number of years. So I was really interested to receive a copy of Antonia’s latest book, “The Mumpreneur Guide”, billed as the ultimate guide to starting and running your own … [Read more...]
Pushy Parent Syndrome
October 1, 2009 by · 20 Comments
Last night, I attended a seminar (for want of a better word) at Flea's school, where the teachers explained how the children are being taught to read. I was expecting something quite full on - this is a private school and one that has a reputation for "bringing children on" (as they call it). But the evening took me by surprise. The head teacher said we shouldn't feel the kids always need to do their homework (which is lucky for us, considering we are bona fide homework … [Read more...]
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