For many of us, as soon as we see that positive line on the pregnancy test, we start thinking about all the preparation we’ll need to do before the baby comes. This often leads to the question, when should I start buying baby stuff? The answer isn’t straightforward but in my opinion, a simplified summary […]
Life with Babies and Toddlers
I found the baby years challenging to say the least. I had postnatal depression, struggled to bind with my babies and found the sleep deprivation very hard to cope with. Both of my babies had colic which meant hours of screaming every night and one was particularly sicky so I smelt of vomit for a good six months.
By the time they were toddlers I was coping a bit better but still found parenting relentless. As an introvert, I need a certain amount of alone time to function and unfortunately toddlers, who like to keep you company even on the toilet, don’t really allow for that.
Despite the challenges, we did have some good times. After my second was born I knew it was important for me to get out of the house so started attending a toddler group. I made friends and eventually ended up running the group which gave me a sense of purpose.
Society still pushes the image of women who are happy and fulfilled simply because they have had a baby however this isn’t the case for most women. Motherhood manages somehow to be both the hardest thing I’ve done as well as being mind numbingly boring for much of the time.
There is a big difference between loving your baby and loving motherhood. While I did slowly fall in love with my babies, I’ve never fallen in love with motherhood, and that’s ok. There are a hundred different ways to be a good mum, finding parenthood so tough in the early years has taught me not to judge others and I hope people afford me the same courtesy.
I found that the best way to cope with motherhood was through honestly and humour so many of the posts in this section laugh at the challenges or give honest accounts of them along with some advice on how to cope.
How to Do Toy Rotation
While I’m a pretty rubbish cleaner, I do like my house to be tidy and organised. Young children’s toys can make this somewhat challenging! Children in the UK have a huge number of toys these days and mine are no different. I’ve found that a toy rotation system helped me keep toys organised, as well […]
What is a Danger Nap?
If you move in parenting circles you may have heard the term danger nap uttered in whispered horror by mums and dads. You might even have experienced it for yourself. Personally, I was so frightened of them, I used to have nightmares that my toddler had taken a danger nap. But what is a danger […]
Early Morning Waking in Babies and Toddlers
When you’ve finally managed to get your baby or toddler sleep through the night, you’ll be overjoyed. Baby sleep is the holy grail of parenting. To start with, even if your baby wakes up at 5am, you’ll be over the moon if you get 6 hours hours of unbroken sleep. However, after a while, you’ll […]
The Transition to One Nap
Having spent months getting your child sleeping through the night and into a good napping routine, the thought of making changes can be horrifying. At some point your toddler will need to make the transition to one nap and getting them to sleep less can actually be as tricky as getting them to sleep more. How […]
