I’ve always needed my sleep. When all my friends were staying out all night at clubs, I was ready to go home by ten. When they were at my house, I’d often go to bed and leave them awake downstairs while I slept peacefully in my bed. Left to my own devices, I wouldn’t be […]
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.
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. […]
Choosing Ride On Toys for Toddlers
Your first set of wheels is a big deal. For most of us it happens when we’re toddlers, with a ride on on toy that we can shuffle about the house on at top speed, terrifying the pets, and our parents. Choosing the right ride on toys for toddlers is important as they will take […]
Choosing Outside Toys for Toddlers
Toddlers love to be outside. If you’re lucky enough to have a garden or other outside space you can buy all sorts of things to keep them entertained. The trouble is there is almost too much choice. For that reason I have written the guidance below of choosing outside toys for toddlers. This post contains […]
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! I’ve found that a toy rotation system helped me keep toys organised, as well as helping the kids to appreciate them more. What is Toy Rotation? When I had my […]
